Police officer · Santa Cruz, CA

Police officer in Santa Cruz: $2,581/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median police officer wage in Santa Cruz at $122,970 a year. About 400 police officer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.93). The 10th percentile is $79,830 and the 90th is $152,340. Pay ranks 7th-highest of 380 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 3.9× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,638/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,581 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Carson City, about 192 miles away, at $5,111 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,581

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$122,970

$79,830 to $152,340

Rent (1 bd)

$2,638

$3,141 (2 bd)

Employment

400

Location quotient 0.93

Pay rank

7th of 380

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

3.9×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, police officer pay of $122,970.

Taxes$2,969
Rent$2,638
Other living costs$2,059
Left over$2,581

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $122,970
Federal income tax: −$18,760
Social Security and Medicare: −$9,407
State income tax (CA): −$7,463
Take-home pay: $87,340
Effective tax rate: 29.0%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,638
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $489
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $4,697

Left over each month

$10,248 gross, minus $2,969 in tax and $4,697 in living costs.

$2,581

Rank every metro for a police officer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Carson City, $5,111/mo.

Police officer leftover by city →Best cities for police officers to move to →

Police officer nearby

Questions

What does a police officer make in Santa Cruz?

$122,970 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 400 police officer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a police officer in Santa Cruz?

$2,581 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,638, and pay covers 3.9× a year of it.

Where nearby would a police officer keep more?

Carson City, about 192 miles away, leaves $5,111 a month, more than Santa Cruz.