$1M-Cop, $600K-City Manager: See What CA County Gov't Workers Earn

CALIFORNIA — Last year, California's highest-paid county and city officials worked in public health and public safety — with some raking in over $1 million, according to a report released Tuesday by the California State Controller's Office.

The agency published its 2023 "Government Compensation in California" analysis, showing how taxpayer funds were spent in the previous year and who received what.

Doctors on the San Joaquin County payroll were the top five highest-paid officials statewide. At #1 was a Physician Manager who earned $1,247,779.

The highest-paid public safety official in the state was a police officer with the Santa Monica Police Department. The officer's total compensation was $970,050, with regular pay of $135,197 and a lump sum pay of $785,615. The lump sum included one-time cash-outs, including, but not limited to, paid excess vacation and sick leave, and legal settlements.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was the state's highest-paid sheriff last year, with total compensation of $593, 518.

Note: Los Angeles, Plumas, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties submitted non-compliant reports to the State Controller. Yolo County failed to file a report.

The state's top 10 highest-earning city managers in 2023 were mostly found in Southern California:

Here are the state's 2023 top-earning positions in each county (total compensation), according to the report:

• Alameda County: County Administrator, $616,597
• Alpine County: Deputy Sheriff II, $289,183
• Amador County: Psychiatrist, $396,978
• Butte County: Sheriff's Sergeant, $344,187
• Calaveras County: District Attorney, $222,088
• Colusa County: County Administrative Officer, $211,368
• Contra Costa County: County Administrator, $494,001
• Del Norte County: County Administrative Officer, $181,489
• El Dorado County: Mental Health Medical Director, $416,848
• Fresno County: County Administrative Officer, $286,880
• Glenn County: County Administrative Officer, $292,607
• Humboldt County: Library Operations Manager, $350,029
• Imperial County: Psychiatrist, $392,443
• Inyo County: County Administrative Officer, $215,595
• Kern County: Sheriff's Sergeant-C-A, $307,992
• Kings County: County Counsel, $216,750
• Lake County: Sheriff-Coroner, $230,592
• Lassen County: 1000 County Administrative Officer, $219,518
• Los Angeles County: This employer submitted a non-compliant report to the State Controller's Office, which means the county filed a compensation report that was incomplete, was in a format other than the one requested by the State Controller's Office, is pending data confirmation by the employer, or was submitted after the reporting deadline and is currently in the review process.
• Madera County: Reserve Deputy, Sheriff (Extra Help), $304,051
• Marin County: County Administrator, $339,801
• Mariposa County: County Health Officer, $245,999
• Mendocino County: 4016 County Health Officer, $232,760
• Merced County: Behavioral Health Medical Director, $355,615
• Modoc County: County Administrative Officer (Other Positions Held: Interm Public Works Director), $167,475
• Mono County: Paramedic II, $215,903
• Monterey County: Chief Of Surgery, $716,257
• Napa County: Sergeant, $367,075
• Nevada County: County Executive Officer, $319,823
• Orange County: Psychiatrist, $458,788
• Placer County: Sheriff-Coroner-Marshal, $588,111
• Plumas County: This employer has submitted a non-compliant report to the State Controller's Office, which means the county filed a compensation report that was incomplete, was in a format other than the one requested by the State Controller's Office, is pending data confirmation by the employer, or was submitted after the reporting deadline and is currently in the review process.
• Riverside County: Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator, $593,518
• Sacramento County: Sheriff Captain, $478,351
• San Benito County: Assistant County Counsel To Procurement/Purchasing, $234,576
• San Bernardino County: Behavioral Health Med Director, $478,623
• San Diego County: Tep - Psychiatrist Spec Assign, $503,800
• San Francisco County/City: Chf Executive & Investment Ofc, $678,381
• San Joaquin County: Physician Manager, $1,247,779
• San Luis Obispo County: Integration: Default Position, $333,654
• San Mateo County: This employer has submitted a non-compliant report to the State Controller's Office, which means the county filed a compensation report that was incomplete, was in a format other than the one requested by the State Controller's Office, is pending data confirmation by the employer, or was submitted after the reporting deadline and is currently in the review process.
• Santa Barbara County: Fire Captain Shift, $481,429
• Santa Clara County: This employer has submitted a non-compliant report to the State Controller's Office, which means the county filed a compensation report that was incomplete, was in a format other than the one requested by the State Controller's Office, is pending data confirmation by the employer, or was submitted after the reporting deadline and is currently in the review process.
• Santa Cruz County: Psychiatrist, $404,298
• Shasta County: Sheriff-Coroner, $260,587
• Sierra County: Sheriff Lieutenant, $214,817
• Siskiyou County: County Counsel, $216,497
• Solano County: Sergeant - Sheriff, $456,067
• Sonoma County: Deputy Sheriff II, $394,020
• Stanislaus County: Forensic Pathologist, $534,756
• Sutter County: Psychiatrist, $418,485
• Tehama County: Chief Administrator, $225,824
• Trinity County: Sheriff Sergeant, $184,172
• Tulare County: HHS Medical Director-Prim Care, $405,117
• Tuolumne County: County Administrative Officer, $308,713
• Ventura County: Medical Director, $483,838
• Yolo County: This employer failed to file a report with the State Controller's Office.
• Yuba County: Health Officer, $349,719

Below were the 50 highest-paid city/county positions in the state during 2023. Click here to see the full list. (NOTE: Next month, the data will be updated to include colleges and state departments. Public education (K-12) analysis will come at the end of the year. See the full release schedule here.):