Highest correctional officer salaries in California, by employer, 2025
Santa Clara County pays California's highest average total pay for correctional officers: $207,897 for those who worked the full year in 2025, against a state average of $125,799. It also has the highest base pay ($136,845) and starting salary ($117,865).
Where do correctional officers earn the most in California?
The 25 employers with the highest average total pay of full-year correctional officers, overtime included. Sergeants and higher ranks aren't in these figures.
Highest average total pay
- Santa Clara CountyCounty jails
629 full-year officers$207,897 - San Mateo CountyCounty jails
149 full-year officers$201,591 - Monterey CountyCounty jails
138 full-year officers$156,445 - Santa Barbara CountyCounty jails
156 full-year officers$156,036 - Sonoma CountyCounty jails
130 full-year officers$148,808 - Napa CountyCounty jails
55 full-year officers$147,709 - Santa Cruz CountyCounty jails
80 full-year officers$139,964 - San Joaquin CountyCounty jails
187 full-year officers$137,009 - San Diego CountyCounty jails
875 full-year officers$133,298 - California Department of Corrections and RehabilitationState department, state prisons
15,779 full-year officers$124,074 - California Correctional Health Care ServicesState department, state prisons
793 full-year officers$122,852 - Solano CountyCounty jails
92 full-year officers$121,493 - Santa AnaCity in Orange County
48 full-year officers$120,002 - Placer CountyCounty jails
91 full-year officers$118,046 - San Benito CountyCounty jails
11 full-year officers$117,476 - Yolo CountyCounty jails
76 full-year officers$117,379 - Kern CountyCounty jails
217 full-year officers$115,670 - San Luis Obispo CountyCounty jails
94 full-year officers$114,892 - Butte CountyCounty jails
54 full-year officers$112,977 - Inyo CountyCounty jails
15 full-year officers$112,503 - Nevada CountyCounty jails
35 full-year officers$109,220 - Amador CountyCounty jails
14 full-year officers$109,074 - Fresno CountyCounty jails
366 full-year officers$106,340 - Shasta CountyCounty jails
37 full-year officers$104,112 - Mendocino CountyCounty jails
39 full-year officers$104,087
Highest correctional officer base pay in California
Average base pay of full-year correctional officers, without overtime and other pay: closer to what the job pays for a regular schedule.
Highest average base pay
- Santa Clara CountyCounty jails
629 full-year officers$136,845 - San Mateo CountyCounty jails
149 full-year officers$122,833 - Sonoma CountyCounty jails
130 full-year officers$109,510 - Napa CountyCounty jails
55 full-year officers$107,533 - Monterey CountyCounty jails
138 full-year officers$106,372 - San Diego CountyCounty jails
875 full-year officers$99,345 - Santa Barbara CountyCounty jails
156 full-year officers$96,392 - California Department of Corrections and RehabilitationState department, state prisons
15,779 full-year officers$95,551 - California Correctional Health Care ServicesState department, state prisons
793 full-year officers$93,811 - Santa Cruz CountyCounty jails
80 full-year officers$93,329 - Santa AnaCity in Orange County
48 full-year officers$91,936 - San Joaquin CountyCounty jails
187 full-year officers$88,395 - San Luis Obispo CountyCounty jails
94 full-year officers$88,355 - Placer CountyCounty jails
91 full-year officers$88,229 - Solano CountyCounty jails
92 full-year officers$83,731 - Kern CountyCounty jails
217 full-year officers$81,796 - Tulare CountyCounty jails
187 full-year officers$81,787 - Yolo CountyCounty jails
76 full-year officers$81,185 - San Benito CountyCounty jails
11 full-year officers$78,320 - Fresno CountyCounty jails
366 full-year officers$76,256 - Inyo CountyCounty jails
15 full-year officers$75,852 - Nevada CountyCounty jails
35 full-year officers$75,815 - Riverside CountyCounty jails
771 full-year officers$75,775 - Butte CountyCounty jails
54 full-year officers$75,118 - El Dorado CountyCounty jails
58 full-year officers$74,749
Which California employers pay new correctional officers the most?
The bottom of the official pay range for each employer's entry-level officer title, as reported. For the state's prisons, the bottom of Range J, the State's entry-level officer range.
Highest starting salary
- Santa Clara CountyCounty jails
629 full-year officers$117,865 - San Mateo CountyCounty jails
149 full-year officers$101,442 - Monterey CountyCounty jails
138 full-year officers$94,110 - Napa CountyCounty jails
55 full-year officers$91,709 - Santa Barbara CountyCounty jails
156 full-year officers$90,865 - Sonoma CountyCounty jails
130 full-year officers$82,379 - San Luis Obispo CountyCounty jails
94 full-year officers$82,056 - Santa Cruz CountyCounty jails
80 full-year officers$81,661 - Santa AnaCity in Orange County
48 full-year officers$80,508 - Placer CountyCounty jails
91 full-year officers$72,530 - Tulare CountyCounty jails
187 full-year officers$71,845 - San Joaquin CountyCounty jails
187 full-year officers$71,242 - Yolo CountyCounty jails
76 full-year officers$69,805 - California Correctional Health Care ServicesState department, state prisons
793 full-year officers$66,120 - California Department of Corrections and RehabilitationState department, state prisons
15,779 full-year officers$66,120 - Solano CountyCounty jails
92 full-year officers$65,493 - San Benito CountyCounty jails
11 full-year officers$64,251 - San Diego CountyCounty jails
875 full-year officers$63,803 - Riverside CountyCounty jails
771 full-year officers$63,486 - Calaveras CountyCounty jails
8 full-year officers$62,691 - Butte CountyCounty jails
54 full-year officers$62,254 - Nevada CountyCounty jails
35 full-year officers$61,809 - El Dorado CountyCounty jails
58 full-year officers$61,110 - Yuba CountyCounty jails
35 full-year officers$60,636 - Mendocino CountyCounty jails
39 full-year officers$59,883
Where do California correctional officers earn the most overtime?
Average overtime paid to full-year correctional officers in 2025. A few people with a lot of overtime can pull an employer's average up.
Highest average overtime
- San Mateo CountyCounty jails
149 full-year officers$62,260 - Santa Barbara CountyCounty jails
156 full-year officers$49,928 - Santa Clara CountyCounty jails
629 full-year officers$49,577 - San Joaquin CountyCounty jails
187 full-year officers$44,934 - Monterey CountyCounty jails
138 full-year officers$36,068 - Humboldt CountyCounty jails
49 full-year officers$32,480 - San Benito CountyCounty jails
11 full-year officers$30,663 - Santa Cruz CountyCounty jails
80 full-year officers$30,310 - San Diego CountyCounty jails
875 full-year officers$30,236 - Mendocino CountyCounty jails
39 full-year officers$30,192 - Nevada CountyCounty jails
35 full-year officers$28,060 - Shasta CountyCounty jails
37 full-year officers$27,990 - Butte CountyCounty jails
54 full-year officers$27,760 - Napa CountyCounty jails
55 full-year officers$27,410 - Sonoma CountyCounty jails
130 full-year officers$25,277 - Riverside CountyCounty jails
771 full-year officers$24,188 - Kern CountyCounty jails
217 full-year officers$23,657 - Imperial CountyCounty jails
47 full-year officers$23,393 - Calaveras CountyCounty jails
8 full-year officers$22,719 - Sutter CountyCounty jails
37 full-year officers$22,552 - San Luis Obispo CountyCounty jails
94 full-year officers$22,356 - Amador CountyCounty jails
14 full-year officers$22,324 - Lake CountyCounty jails
25 full-year officers$22,114 - California Correctional Health Care ServicesState department, state prisons
793 full-year officers$21,750 - Mono CountyCounty jails
11 full-year officers$21,689
Which California counties pay correctional officers the most?
Average total pay of full-year officers across every employer in the county, for the 40 counties with at least 5 of them. The dashed line marks the California average of $125,799.
The highest-paying employer for correctional officers in each California county
By average total pay of full-year officers, among the county's employers with at least 5 of them.
- Amador CountyAmador County$109,074only employer with an average
- Butte CountyButte County$112,977only employer with an average
- Calaveras CountyCalaveras County$90,721only employer with an average
- Colusa CountyColusa County$81,050only employer with an average
- Del Norte CountyDel Norte County$74,529only employer with an average
- El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County$101,336only employer with an average
- Fresno CountyFresno County$106,340only employer with an average
- Humboldt CountyHumboldt County$97,836only employer with an average
- Imperial CountyImperial County$84,656only employer with an average
- Inyo CountyInyo County$112,503only employer with an average
- Kern CountyKern County$115,670highest of 2
- Kings CountyKings County$90,124only employer with an average
- Lake CountyLake County$96,335only employer with an average
- Madera CountyMadera County$80,004only employer with an average
- Mendocino CountyMendocino County$104,087only employer with an average
- Mono CountyMono County$99,722only employer with an average
- Monterey CountyMonterey County$156,445only employer with an average
- Napa CountyNapa County$147,709only employer with an average
- Nevada CountyNevada County$109,220only employer with an average
- Orange CountySanta Ana$120,002only employer with an average
- Placer CountyPlacer County$118,046only employer with an average
- Plumas CountyPlumas County$79,070only employer with an average
- Riverside CountyRiverside County$103,166only employer with an average
- San Benito CountySan Benito County$117,476only employer with an average
- San Diego CountySan Diego County$133,298only employer with an average
- San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County$137,009only employer with an average
- San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County$114,892only employer with an average
- San Mateo CountySan Mateo County$201,591only employer with an average
- Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County$156,036only employer with an average
- Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County$207,897only employer with an average
- Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County$139,964only employer with an average
- Shasta CountyShasta County$104,112only employer with an average
- Solano CountySolano County$121,493only employer with an average
- Sonoma CountySonoma County$148,808only employer with an average
- Sutter CountySutter County$96,583only employer with an average
- Tehama CountyTehama County$90,347only employer with an average
- Tulare CountyTulare County$96,057only employer with an average
- Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County$86,337only employer with an average
- Yolo CountyYolo County$117,379only employer with an average
- Yuba CountyYuba County$91,533only employer with an average
Questions about the highest correctional officer salaries in California
Which California employer pays correctional officers the most?
Santa Clara County, where full-year correctional officers earned an average of $207,897 in 2025, overtime included. San Mateo County ($201,591) and Monterey County ($156,445) follow.
Where do new correctional officers earn the most in California?
The highest starting salary, the bottom of the official range for the entry-level officer title, is at Santa Clara County: $117,865. San Mateo County ($101,442) and Monterey County ($94,110) follow.
Where do correctional officers earn the most overtime in California?
Full-year correctional officers at San Mateo County were paid an average of $62,260 in overtime in 2025, the most of any California employer with at least 5 of them. The California average is $22,549.
Which California county pays correctional officers the most?
Santa Clara County, where full-year correctional officers in its county and city jails earned an average of $207,897, followed by San Mateo County ($201,591) and Monterey County ($156,445).
Sources for the California correctional officer rankings
Pay figures cover 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. Every figure covers at least 5 people. Starting salaries are the bottom of each employer's official range for its entry title, as reported. Rankings and medians are our own arithmetic on these figures.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges and wages as reported by each county and city and the state departments.