Who are the top paying agencies in the Bay Area?

[3S16]

I can remember when the "Employment Opportunities" section in the back of Porac News was like 1/2 page.
My Porac News that arrived today has 7 pages of Agencies looking for officers - many with signing insentives of several thousand dollars!

[trendar5]

Santa Clara PD top step officer with longevity, B.A. degree, and POST advanced certificate is now $193K.

[JM2012]

"Top paying" is a complex concept, due to the differences in contracts regarding salary, incentives, hazard pay, retirement, and benefits.

Honestly though, unless it's absolutely critical to maintaining your life, I wouldn't be concerned with pay. I work for one of the highest paid agencies in the state, and probably the country, and the working conditions are horrible. There are several career moves I'd love to make, but the high pay is just a pair of "golden handcuffs."

Figure out what you want out of the job, then find the agencies that can help you achieve that, and then narrow it down to those whose pay is adequate for maintaining your lifestyle. The highest paid agencies are not always the ones where you'll get the most job satisfaction.

[powderedtoastman]

If you’re chasing money, you’ll end up miserable. Having a Chief or Sheriff, as well as a DA’s office that has your back, and policies that show they all have your back are more important. All that money will be useless if you get sued or fired because you did one little that that’s not PC according to a “fairy dust and lollipops” administration...

[barncat]

Recently ran into a nice guy leaving ALCo Sheriff for the city of Livermore. Had lots of positive things to say about LPD and looking forward to the jump.

[glbtrottr]

Some agencies have higher pay than others, but union fees vary depending on jurisdiction as some cities seem to cover them; the same goes for medical. Aside from that, some cities will pay for your intermediate and advanced POST day 1 if you have degrees. Lastly, some may have less than top pay, but you have all-you-can-eat overtime. Some agencies are fairly mellow and sleepy (some officers call their agency "Camp Snoopy") compared to other agencies where you're all go all the time. I never thought LE work would be so varied depending on adjacent agencies...and as many have said, morale is key.

[zfields]

Big time. I love our DA's.