Santa Barbara police officer salary, 2025
Santa Barbara is a city in Santa Barbara County. 117 people worked as police officers for Santa Barbara in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $157,093, overtime included.
What is the average police officer salary at Santa Barbara?
Official pay range1
$102,150 to $143,992
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest police officer title
Based on the 89 of 117 police officers who worked the full year.
Most of Santa Barbara's police officers (93 of 117) hold the title 2400 Police Officer, with an official range of $113,049 to $137,412. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $157,736, $20,324 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $158,752
- the middle police officer: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $20,117
- average per full-year police officer
- Starting salary
- $102,150
- bottom of the 2903 Police Officer Entry Level range
- Average pay rank
- 161st
- of 301 California employers
What does each police officer title at Santa Barbara pay?
Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1
- 2903 Police Officer Entry LevelFewer than 5
- 1964 Airport Police Officer$144,392
- 2400 Police Officer$157,736
- 1965 Airport Police Officer IIFewer than 5
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Police sergeant pay at Santa Barbara
Ranks above officer, kept out of the officer figures on this page. Each rank's name leads to its statewide overview. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each rank's official range. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1
| Rank | People | Official range | Average total pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officers | 117 | $102,150 to $143,992 | $157,093 |
| Sergeants | 22 | $145,793 to $177,212 | $215,238 |
Full-year sergeants averaged $215,238, $58,145 more than officers.
Does Santa Barbara pay police officers more than other employers in Santa Barbara County?
Average total pay of full-year police officers: Santa Barbara next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Santa Barbara$157,093
- All employers in Santa Barbara County$150,187
- All employers in California$179,627
Full-year police officers at Santa Barbara earned $6,906 more than the Santa Barbara County average and $22,534 less than the California average.
Where does Santa Barbara rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year police officers, by average total pay.1
All 301 California employers
Santa Barbara ranks 161st of 301, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $159,513
Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.
Pension and health cover at Santa Barbara
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year police officer, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 2.7% at 57
- the most common formula among Santa Barbara's police officers
- Employer pension contribution
- $28,409
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $13,728
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about police officer pay at Santa Barbara
What is the average police officer salary at Santa Barbara?
Police officers at Santa Barbara who worked the full year earned an average of $157,093 in 2025, overtime included. The middle police officer earned $158,752: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its police officer titles runs from $102,150 to $143,992.
How much overtime do police officers at Santa Barbara earn?
Full-year police officers were paid an average of $20,117 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $18,276: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a police officer at Santa Barbara?
$102,150 a year: the bottom of the official range for Santa Barbara's 2903 Police Officer Entry Level title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year officers averaged $157,093 in total pay.
How much does a police sergeant make at Santa Barbara?
Full-year sergeants at Santa Barbara averaged $215,238 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $145,793 to $177,212.
What pension do police officers at Santa Barbara get?
The most common pension formula among Santa Barbara's police officers is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $28,409 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Santa Barbara County
Sources for the Santa Barbara figures
Every person who held a police officer position at Santa Barbara at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Santa Barbara.