First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Salary
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA make a median of $172,590 a year, or about $82.98 an hour. The range runs from $125K at the entry level to $199K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $157,043 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 41.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $173K get you in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Cruz-Watsonville’s Regional Price Parity (109.9). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About first-line supervisors of police and detectives
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for first-line supervisors of police and detectives, local pay runs about 63% higher than the U.S. median of $106K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 43.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for first-line supervisors of police and detectives in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $168K | $148K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $176K | $152K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $160K | $150K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $164K | $154K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Entry-level first-line supervisors of police and detectives (10th percentile) start around $125K. Mid-career wages sit at $173K. Top earners bring in $199K or more, a $74K spread from bottom to top.
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $164K | +55% | 13,200 |
| New Jersey | $143K | +35% | 7,650 |
| Hawaii | $141K | +33% | 700 |
| Alaska | $137K | +29% | 320 |
| Washington | $136K | +29% | 2,750 |
| Illinois | $135K | +27% | 4,900 |
| District of Columbia | $135K | +27% | 1,230 |
| Nevada | $132K | +25% | 1,300 |
| Delaware | $131K | +24% | 410 |
| Colorado | $127K | +20% | 2,790 |
| New York | $124K | +17% | 12,750 |
| Oregon | $122K | +15% | 1,470 |
| Maryland | $121K | +14% | 6,700 |
| Minnesota | $119K | +12% | 2,870 |
| Texas | $111K | +5% | 5,540 |
| Utah | $111K | +4% | 1,360 |
| Connecticut | $109K | +3% | 2,240 |
| Nebraska | $106K | +0% | 730 |
| Arizona | $105K | -1% | 2,790 |
| Massachusetts | $104K | -2% | 5,540 |
| Pennsylvania | $102K | -3% | 5,690 |
| Virginia | $101K | -5% | 3,750 |
| Florida | $101K | -5% | 9,900 |
| New Hampshire | $100K | -6% | 940 |
| Vermont | $99K | -6% | 210 |
| Iowa | $99K | -7% | 1,370 |
| Ohio | $98K | -7% | 5,170 |
| North Dakota | $98K | -7% | 440 |
| Michigan | $98K | -7% | 3,290 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | -8% | 820 |
| Wisconsin | $97K | -8% | 2,080 |
| Idaho | $95K | -10% | 930 |
| Missouri | $94K | -11% | 3,490 |
| Maine | $92K | -13% | 440 |
| New Mexico | $92K | -13% | 1,320 |
| Wyoming | $91K | -14% | 430 |
| North Carolina | $91K | -14% | 4,820 |
| Montana | $89K | -16% | 450 |
| South Dakota | $88K | -17% | 190 |
| Kansas | $83K | -22% | 2,330 |
| Oklahoma | $83K | -22% | 2,420 |
| Indiana | $82K | -23% | 1,700 |
| Kentucky | $80K | -24% | 1,600 |
| Georgia | $80K | -24% | 7,910 |
| Alabama | $76K | -28% | 1,900 |
| Tennessee | $75K | -29% | 4,430 |
| West Virginia | $74K | -30% | 490 |
| South Carolina | $74K | -30% | 1,560 |
| Louisiana | $70K | -34% | 3,120 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -41% | 2,100 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -44% | 2,060 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a first-line supervisors of police and detectif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $173K, rent takes 43.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for first-line supervisors of police and detectives in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new first-line supervisors of police and detectives typically earn — is $125K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $7,525/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is first-line supervisors of police and detectif a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 63% above the national median — $173K here vs. $106K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for first-line supervisors of police and detectives?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $173K median vs. the U.S. average of $106K — that’s +63%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $157K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do first-line supervisors of police and detectives make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $172,590 a year, that works out to about $83 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $125,410, and experienced first-line supervisors of police and detectives can clear $198,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $173K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,711/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 43.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a first-line supervisors of police and detectives salary go in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 109.9 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median first-line supervisors of police and detectives salary is worth about $157,043 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do first-line supervisors of police and detectives get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.