What public jobs pay in California
Teachers, police officers, firefighters, registered nurses, correctional officers, librarians, paramedics and EMTs, 911 dispatchers, social workers and water operators: what each one earns in California, employer by employer, from official pay records: the newest year each source has published (2024 to 2025). Pick a job below, or a county on the map.
How much does each public job pay in California?
Each job leads to its California page, with every employer. Teachers: average salary. Every other job: average total pay of people who worked the full year, overtime included.
- Teachers$103,5521average salary, 2024-25See every employer
- Police officers$179,6272average total pay, 2025See every employer
- Firefighters$186,1232average total pay, 2025See every employer
- Registered nurses$181,1642average total pay, 2025See every employer
- Correctional officers$125,7992average total pay, 2025See every employer
- Librarians$108,0322average total pay, 2025See every employer
- Paramedics and EMTs$92,0082average total pay, 2025See every employer
- 911 dispatchers$126,6062average total pay, 2025See every employer
- Social workers$105,7392average total pay, 2025See every employer
- Water operators$123,7262average total pay, 2025See every employer
What do public jobs pay in each California county?
Every county with a page for at least one job. Each county page shows every job's county figure and the employers behind it.
- Alameda
- Alpine
- Amador
- Butte
- Calaveras
- Colusa
- Contra Costa
- Del Norte
- El Dorado
- Fresno
- Glenn
- Humboldt
- Imperial
- Inyo
- Kern
- Kings
- Lake
- Lassen
- Los Angeles
- Madera
- Marin
- Mariposa
- Mendocino
- Merced
- Modoc
- Mono
- Monterey
- Napa
- Nevada
- Orange
- Placer
- Plumas
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- San Benito
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Joaquin
- San Luis Obispo
- San Mateo
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clara
- Santa Cruz
- Shasta
- Sierra
- Siskiyou
- Solano
- Sonoma
- Stanislaus
- Sutter
- Tehama
- Trinity
- Tulare
- Tuolumne
- Ventura
- Yolo
- Yuba
Which California employers have pages for the most jobs?
Cities, counties and districts with a page for several jobs, largest first. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff in each job.
Los Angeles
- Police officers$175,345
- Firefighters$217,243
- Registered nurses$154,840
- Librarians$116,589
- Paramedics and EMTsNo average
- 911 dispatchers$122,673
- Social workers$101,231
- Water operators$143,766
San Francisco
- Police officers$255,036
- Firefighters$188,729
- Registered nurses$240,719
- Librarians$126,067
- Paramedics and EMTsNo average
- 911 dispatchers$192,456
- Social workers$129,691
- Water operators$164,802
Kern County
- Firefighters$117,743
- Registered nurses$143,230
- Correctional officers$115,670
- LibrariansNo average
- Paramedics and EMTs$87,780
- 911 dispatchers$100,010
- Social workers$85,504
- Water operators$71,408
Los Angeles County
- Firefighters$191,667
- Registered nurses$145,756
- Librarians$104,638
- Paramedics and EMTs$75,762
- 911 dispatchers$114,289
- Social workers$112,967
- Water operators$125,097
Oakland
- Police officers$220,747
- Firefighters$216,496
- Librarians$111,842
- Paramedics and EMTs$98,710
- 911 dispatchers$165,752
- Social workers$88,808
- Water operators$126,509
Long Beach
- Police officers$210,975
- Firefighters$213,911
- Registered nurses$123,628
- Librarians$97,200
- Paramedics and EMTsNo average
- 911 dispatchers$124,346
- Water operators$113,284
Anaheim
- Police officers$219,428
- Firefighters$201,770
- Registered nursesNo average
- Librarians$87,035
- Paramedics and EMTs$64,473
- 911 dispatchers$131,286
- Water operators$131,027
Santa Clara County
- Firefighters$225,543
- Registered nurses$242,999
- Correctional officers$207,897
- Librarians$104,127
- 911 dispatchers$175,376
- Social workers$145,566
How to read California's public pay figures
Total pay is more than the salary
For every job but teachers, the figures are total pay of people who worked the full year: base pay plus overtime and other pay. Teacher figures are salaries, without overtime or extra pay, so they don't compare one to one.
Every city, county and district
California's figures cover every city, county and special district that reports to the State Controller, and every school district that reports to the Department of Education.
Questions about public pay in California
Which public job pays the most in California?
Of the jobs on this page, firefighters have the highest average total pay in California: $186,123 for those who worked the full year (2025), overtime included. Registered nurses average $181,164, police officers average $179,627, 911 dispatchers average $126,606, correctional officers average $125,799, water operators average $123,726, librarians average $108,032, social workers average $105,739 and paramedics and EMTs average $92,008. Teachers average $103,552 in salary, a figure without overtime or extra pay.
How much do teachers make in California?
$103,552 on average in 2024-25, across 828 school districts. Each district's own figure is on the California teacher pages.
Which California public jobs does Public Paycheck cover?
teachers, police officers, firefighters, registered nurses, correctional officers, librarians, paramedics and EMTs, 911 dispatchers, social workers and water operators. More jobs and more states follow as we collect their pay records.
Sources for the California figures
- California Department of Education, Selected Certificated Salaries and Related Statistics, 2024-25: Table I: statewide average salary paid.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges and wages reported by every city, county and special district, and for nurses, correctional officers and librarians by the University of California, state departments and, for librarians, the California State University and community college districts.