San Diego County correctional officer salary, 2025
San Diego County's jail staff here are deputy sheriffs whose title names the jail assignment: its title, Deputy Sheriff - Detentions/Court Services, covers court security too, so some of these deputies may work in the courts rather than the jails. We count them as its correctional officers. 972 people worked as correctional officers for San Diego County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $133,298, overtime included.
What is the average correctional officer salary at San Diego County?
Official pay range1
$63,803 to $114,434
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest correctional officer title
Based on the 875 of 972 correctional officers who worked the full year.
Most of San Diego County's correctional officers (972 of 972) hold the title Dep Sheriff - Detentions/Ctsvc, with an official range of $63,803 to $114,434. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $133,298, $18,864 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $128,301
- the middle correctional officer: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $30,236
- average per full-year correctional officer
- Starting salary
- $63,803
- bottom of the Dep Sheriff - Detentions/Ctsvc range
- Average pay rank
- 9th
- of 43 California employers
What does each correctional officer title at San Diego County 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
- Dep Sheriff - Detentions/Ctsvc$133,298
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Correctional sergeant and captain pay at San Diego County
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 | 972 | $63,803 to $114,434 | $133,298 |
| Sergeants | 102 | $104,378 to $147,098 | $181,043 |
| Captains | 7 | $140,335 to $197,729 | $205,711 |
Full-year sergeants averaged $181,043, $47,745 more than officers.
Does San Diego County pay correctional officers more than other California employers?
Average total pay of full-year correctional officers: San Diego County next to every California employer together.1
- San Diego County$133,298
- All employers in California$125,799
Full-year correctional officers at San Diego County earned $7,499 more than the California average.
Average correctional officer pay in San Diego County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year correctional officers across all employers in each county that borders San Diego County, and how much more or less it pays.1
Where does San Diego County rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year correctional officers, by average total pay.1
All 43 California employers
San Diego County ranks 9th of 43, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $109,074
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 San Diego County
As reported by the county. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year correctional officer, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 2.5% at 57
- the most common formula among San Diego County's correctional officers
- Employer pension contribution
- $72,844
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $13,928
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about correctional officer pay at San Diego County
What is the average correctional officer salary at San Diego County?
Correctional officers at San Diego County who worked the full year earned an average of $133,298 in 2025, overtime included. The middle correctional officer earned $128,301: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its correctional officer titles runs from $63,803 to $114,434.
How much overtime do correctional officers at San Diego County earn?
Full-year correctional officers were paid an average of $30,236 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $23,589: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a correctional officer at San Diego County?
$63,803 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Diego County's Dep Sheriff - Detentions/Ctsvc title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year officers averaged $133,298 in total pay.
How much does a correctional sergeant make at San Diego County?
Full-year sergeants at San Diego County averaged $181,043 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $104,378 to $147,098.
What pension do correctional officers at San Diego County get?
The most common pension formula among San Diego County's correctional officers is 2.5% at 57, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $72,844 a year into the pension plan.
More public salaries at San Diego County
- Highest correctional officer salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- 911 dispatcher salaries at San Diego County$101,447 average total pay
- Social worker salaries at San Diego County$97,669 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at San Diego County$127,551 average total pay
- Nurse salaries at San Diego County$158,228 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at San Diego County$94,087 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in San Diego CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the San Diego County figures
Every person who held a correctional officer position at San Diego County 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 San Diego County.