At the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Sheriffs in the Law Enforcement classification come into the Department either as Cadets or as Lateral Hires from other agencies.

• APPLY NOW: Deputy Sheriff's Cadet (Law Enforcement)

• APPLY NOW: Deputy Sheriff - Lateral (Law Enforcement)

Cadets are paid at the rate of $39.20 per hour as they go through the 26-week Law Enforcement Academy. Upon graduation, Cadets are then promoted to the Deputy Sheriff classification. The base pay for a Deputy Sheriff is $43.04 - $60.54 per hour ($95,118.40 - $133,793.40 annually). Additional pay incentives and premiums are available for those who are eligible: 

• Intermediate POST - 5%
• Advanced POST - 13.5%

For Lateral Hires, the following are additional pay incentives and premiums that are available for those who are eligible:

• Relocation Pay up to $15,000
• Lateral Incentive Pay up to $20,000.
• Night Shift Premium/ Shift Differential - 5% with 4 or more hours worked between 5:00 PM - 8:00 AM.
• Sheriff's Rural Enforcement Program Assignment - 10% of base pay
• Training Officer Premium - $100.00 biweekly
• Corporal Assignment Premium - 5% of base pay
• Bilingual Premium - $100.00 biweekly
• Bomb/Arson Premium - up to 10% of base pay
• Motor Officer Premium - 7.5% of base pay
• Prisoner Transportation Premium - 3% of base pay
• Detective Assignment Premium - 5% of base pay
• Pilot Fire/Life Safety Premium - 5% of base pay
• Helicopter Pilot - up to 12.5% of base pay
• Helicopter Tactical Flight Officer – 7.5% of base pay
• Major Crimes – 2.5% of base pay
• K9 Premium – 5% of base pay

Work Locations

Typically, Deputy Sheriffs in Law Enforcement have their first assignment at a detentions facility or at a court facility, but they eventually go on patrol, assigned to one of the following patrol stations in the county:

• Alpine Station
• Fallbrook Substation
• Imperial Beach Substation
• Lakeside Substation
• Lemon Grove Substation
• North Coastal Station
• Poway Station
• Ramona Substation
• Rancho San Diego Station
• San Marcos Station
• Santee Station
• Valley Center Substation
• Vista Station

Work Schedule

As a Law Enforcement Deputy Sheriff, your patrol schedule will likely involve 12.5 hour shifts, with alternating 3- and 4-day periods of work and rest. You will work 7 days or nights in each 14-day pay period.