Highest correctional officer starting salaries in California, 2025
What a new correctional officer is paid at each of 42 California state departments, counties and cities: the bottom of the official pay range for the employer's lowest correctional officer title, as reported. The middle employer starts at $62,032.
What is the starting salary for a correctional officer in California?
Middle starting salary, California correctional officers1
$62,032
half of the 42 employers start higher, half lower
- Employers compared
- 42
- with an official range for their correctional officer titles
- Starting at $100,000 or more
- 2
- employers
- Average total pay
- $125,799
- what full-year correctional officers earned, overtime included
- Above the start
- $47,493
- full-year pay above the starting salary, middle employer
Which California employers pay new correctional officers the most?
The 25 highest starting salaries: the bottom of the official range for each employer's lowest correctional officer title, as reported for 2025.
Highest starting salary
- Santa Clara CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer$117,865 - San Mateo CountyCounty jails
Sheriff's Correctional Officer$101,442 - Monterey CountyCounty jails
Deputy Sheriff-Corrections$94,110 - Napa CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer I$91,709 - Santa Barbara CountyCounty jails
Custody Deputy$90,865 - Sonoma CountyCounty jails
Correctional Deputy I$82,379 - San Luis Obispo CountyCounty jails
Sheriff's Correctional De$82,056 - Santa Cruz CountyCounty jails
Sheriffs Corrections Officer$81,661 - Santa AnaCity in Orange County
Correctional Officer$80,508 - Placer CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer - I$72,530 - Tulare CountyCounty jails
Sheriff's Correctional Deputy$71,845 - San Joaquin CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer$71,242 - Yolo CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer I$69,805 - California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS)State department, state prisons
Correctional Officer, Range J$66,120 - California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)State department, state prisons
Correctional Officer, Range J$66,120 - Solano CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer (Entry)$65,493 - San Benito CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer I$64,251 - San Diego CountyCounty jails
Dep Sheriff - Detentions/Ctsvc$63,803 - Riverside CountyCounty jails
Correctional Deputy I$63,486 - Calaveras CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer I$62,691 - Butte CountyCounty jails
Correctional Deputy I$62,254 - Nevada CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer I$61,809 - El Dorado CountyCounty jails
5501 Sheriff's Correctional Officer I$61,110 - Yuba CountyCounty jails
Correctional Officer$60,636 - Mendocino CountyCounty jails
7009 Corrections Deputy$59,883
Middle California employer, $62,032
Compare correctional officer starting salaries at every California employer
Starting salary, the title it belongs to, and what full-year correctional officers at the same employer earned. Click a column to sort it.
Showing 1 to 25 of 42 employers, highest starting salary first.
| Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County | Santa Clara | $117,865 | Correctional Officer | $207,897 | 717 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo CountySan Mateo County | San Mateo | $101,442 | Sheriff's Correctional Officer | $201,591 | 173 |
| Monterey CountyMonterey County | Monterey | $94,110 | Deputy Sheriff-Corrections | $156,445 | 169 |
| Napa CountyNapa County | Napa | $91,709 | Correctional Officer I | $147,709 | 76 |
| Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County | Santa Barbara | $90,865 | Custody Deputy | $156,036 | 213 |
| Sonoma CountySonoma County | Sonoma | $82,379 | Correctional Deputy I | $148,808 | 188 |
| San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County | San Luis Obispo | $82,056 | Sheriff's Correctional De | $114,892 | 116 |
| Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County | Santa Cruz | $81,661 | Sheriffs Corrections Officer | $139,964 | 123 |
| Santa AnaOrange County | Orange | $80,508 | Correctional Officer | $120,002 | 60 |
| Placer CountyPlacer County | Placer | $72,530 | Correctional Officer - I | $118,046 | 137 |
| Tulare CountyTulare County | Tulare | $71,845 | Sheriff's Correctional Deputy | $96,057 | 252 |
| San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County | San Joaquin | $71,242 | Correctional Officer | $137,009 | 235 |
| Yolo CountyYolo County | Yolo | $69,805 | Correctional Officer I | $117,379 | 107 |
| California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS)Statewide | Statewide | $66,120 | Correctional Officer, Range J | $122,852 | 997 |
| California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)Statewide | Statewide | $66,120 | Correctional Officer, Range J | $124,074 | 21,115 |
| Solano CountySolano County | Solano | $65,493 | Correctional Officer (Entry) | $121,493 | 271 |
| San Benito CountySan Benito County | San Benito | $64,251 | Correctional Officer I | $117,476 | 24 |
| San Diego CountySan Diego County | San Diego | $63,803 | Dep Sheriff - Detentions/Ctsvc | $133,298 | 972 |
| Riverside CountyRiverside County | Riverside | $63,486 | Correctional Deputy I | $103,166 | 1,095 |
| Calaveras CountyCalaveras County | Calaveras | $62,691 | Correctional Officer I | $90,721 | 26 |
| Butte CountyButte County | Butte | $62,254 | Correctional Deputy I | $112,977 | 83 |
| Nevada CountyNevada County | Nevada | $61,809 | Correctional Officer I | $109,220 | 56 |
| El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County | El Dorado | $61,110 | 5501 Sheriff's Correctional Officer I | $101,336 | 98 |
| Yuba CountyYuba County | Yuba | $60,636 | Correctional Officer | $91,533 | 55 |
| Mendocino CountyMendocino County | Mendocino | $59,883 | 7009 Corrections Deputy | $104,087 | 49 |
No employer matches. Clear the search or pick another county or size.
Starting salary: the bottom of the official range for the employer's lowest correctional officer title, as reported. For the state's prisons, the starting salary is the bottom of Range J, the State's pay range for entry-level officers; Range K is for journey-level officers. "Fewer than 5": fewer than 5 officers worked the full year, too few for an average.
Questions about correctional officer starting salaries in California
Which California employer has the highest starting salary for correctional officers?
Santa Clara County: $117,865 a year, the bottom of the official range for its Correctional Officer title in 2025. San Mateo County ($101,442) and Monterey County ($94,110) follow.
What is the starting salary for a correctional officer in California?
It depends on the employer. Across the 42 California employers that report a range, the middle starting salary is $62,032 a year; the highest is $117,865, the lowest $48,029.
How much more do correctional officers earn than their starting salary?
At the middle employer, full-year correctional officers earned $47,493 more on average than the starting salary in 2025. Steps with years of service, promotions within the job and overtime make up the difference.
Sources for the California starting salaries
Starting salaries are the bottom of the official pay range for the employer's lowest correctional officer title, as the employer reported it. For the state's prisons, the starting salary is the bottom of Range J, the State's pay range for entry-level officers; Range K is for journey-level officers. Some employers report the range for a title that already needs experience or a certificate; the table names the title so you can check. Average total pay covers only people who worked roughly the full year, and every pay figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: official pay ranges and wages as reported by each employer.
- California Department of Human Resources, 2024 Correctional Officer Total Compensation Survey: Alternate Range J for entry-level correctional officers, Alternate Range K for full journey-level correctional officers.