Santa Cruz police officer salary, 2025
Santa Cruz is a city in Santa Cruz County. 65 people worked as police officers for Santa Cruz in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $151,196, overtime included.
What is the average police officer salary at Santa Cruz?
Official pay range1
$98,976 to $139,260
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest police officer title
Based on the 49 of 65 police officers who worked the full year.
Most of Santa Cruz's police officers (65 of 65) hold the title Police Officer, with an official range of $98,976 to $139,260. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $151,196, $11,936 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $148,341
- the middle police officer: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $25,567
- average per full-year police officer
- Starting salary
- $98,976
- bottom of the Police Officer range
- Average pay rank
- 183rd
- of 301 California employers
What does each police officer title at Santa Cruz 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
- Police Officer$151,196
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Police sergeant and lieutenant pay at Santa Cruz
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 | 65 | $98,976 to $139,260 | $151,196 |
| Sergeants | 12 | $120,612 to $169,716 | $218,677 |
| Lieutenants | 5 | $184,284 to $203,172 | $247,069 |
Full-year sergeants averaged $218,677, $67,481 more than officers.
Does Santa Cruz pay police officers more than other employers in Santa Cruz County?
Average total pay of full-year police officers: Santa Cruz next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Santa Cruz$151,196
- All employers in Santa Cruz County$159,647
- All employers in California$179,627
Full-year police officers at Santa Cruz earned $8,451 less than the Santa Cruz County average and $28,431 less than the California average.
Where does Santa Cruz rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year police officers, by average total pay.1
All 301 California employers
Santa Cruz ranks 183rd 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 Cruz
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 Cruz's police officers
- Employer pension contribution
- $14,800
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $20,859
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about police officer pay at Santa Cruz
What is the average police officer salary at Santa Cruz?
Police officers at Santa Cruz who worked the full year earned an average of $151,196 in 2025, overtime included. The middle police officer earned $148,341: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its police officer titles runs from $98,976 to $139,260.
How much overtime do police officers at Santa Cruz earn?
Full-year police officers were paid an average of $25,567 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $25,028: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a police officer at Santa Cruz?
$98,976 a year: the bottom of the official range for Santa Cruz's Police Officer title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year officers averaged $151,196 in total pay.
How much does a police sergeant make at Santa Cruz?
Full-year sergeants at Santa Cruz averaged $218,677 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $120,612 to $169,716.
What pension do police officers at Santa Cruz get?
The most common pension formula among Santa Cruz's police officers is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $14,800 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Santa Cruz County
Sources for the Santa Cruz figures
Every person who held a police officer position at Santa Cruz 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 Cruz.