Effective January 5, 2025, the annual base salary for Police Officers ranges from $134,236 - $159,971 per year. This does not include eligibility based incentives such as bilingual pay, master officer pay (laterals qualify), field training officer, education incentive, and uniform allowance. 

POA Contractual Raises
January 22, 2024: Four percent (4%), plus an additional one percent (1%) for community-based training.
January 5, 2025: Three percent (3%), plus an additional one percent (1%) for community-based training.
January 4, 2026: Three percent (3%), plus an additional one percent (2%) for community-based training.

For the most current salary and benefits, please read the San Mateo Police Officers’ Association Memorandum of Understanding (SMPOA MOU).

Medical Insurance
The City offers several health insurance plans for employees. One of these plans includes Kaiser HMO. If you choose Kaiser HMO, the City pays 100% of coverage for single coverage and 90% for family coverage. The City's maximum contribution toward health insurance is $160. 

Dental Insurance
This is fully City paid. 100/80/80 basic plan with a $15 annual deductible and a $3,000 annual maximum payment. The lifetime orthodontic benefit is 50% to a lifetime maximum of $2,000.

Vision Insurance
Fully City paid vision coverage with a $25 copayment. 

For the most current salary and benefits, please read the San Mateo Police Officers’ Association Memorandum of Understanding (SMPOA MOU).

The Police Officers’ Association has negotiated the following eligibility based incentives for qualifying police officers: 

• Education Incentive (4% to 9%)
• Master Officer (3% to 7%) - experienced laterals qualify
• Specialty Unit (5%)
• Field Training Officer (8%)
• Bilingual ($200 biweekly)
• Uniform Allowance ($38.46 biweekly)
• Paid On-Duty Work Out
• Take-home-car program for detectives and the public information officer
• City pays $550/month toward PORAC Retiree Medical Trust account
• City pays 2.63% of base salary to an IRS 401(a) Deferred Compensation Plan
• 14 paid holidays in addition to vacation and sick leave hours hours
• $50,000 Life Insurance & $10,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
• Free fitness classes through the City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation Department 

For the most current information, please review the San Mateo POA MOU.

We absolutely do! The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is an agency in the California executive branch that "manages pension and health benefits for more than 1.5 million California public employees, retirees, and their families".

Officer Retirement Benefit Plans

• 3% at 50 with single highest year compensation for "classic" members hired before December 9, 2012. 
• 3% at 55 with highest average annual pensionable compensation earned during 36 consecutive months of service for "classic" members hired on or after December 9, 2012. 
• 2.7% at 57 with highest average annual pensionable compensation earned during 36 consecutive months of service for "new" members hired on or after January 1, 2013. 
• Officers do not participate in the Social Security Program. 

For the most current salary and benefits, please read the San Mateo Police Officers’ Association Memorandum of Understanding (SMPOA MOU).

As with most Cities, merit employees share in the cost of their CalPERS retirement pension benefit. The amount you will pay is based on whether you are a “classic” or a “new PEPRA” member, and whether you are a “safety” or “miscellaneous” (non-safety) employee. CalPERS determines the normal cost for each plan for the City using a complex mix of demographic and economic assumptions for that member group. The normal cost for each plan changes each year.

• 8.34%       Classic Miscellaneous Member                  
• 7.50%       New/PEPRA Miscellaneous Member       
• 15.39%     Classic Safety Member (14.0% maximum for Police Sergeants and Officers)  
• 12.25%     New/PEPRA Safety Member

The City of San Mateo contributes into the PORAC Retiree Medical Trust account for members of the Police Officers’ Association. For the most current information, please review the San Mateo POA MOU.

The City offers two different leave programs: Vacation/Sick Leave or the Annual Leave Program. For the Vacation/Sick Leave Program, you get 88 to 200 hours of annual vacation depending on years of service, 14 paid holidays per year, and 96 sick hours per year (3.7 hours biweekly). For the Annual Leave Program, you get 136 to 248 hours of paid leave depending on years of service. For the most current salary and benefits, please read the San Mateo Police Officers’ Association Memorandum of Understanding (SMPOA MOU).

Patrol officers currently work a rotating four days on and four days off schedule. Officers in specialty assignments typically work four days on and three days off. For the most current information, please review the San Mateo POA MOU.

Yes. Officers are encouraged to work out on-duty. For the most current information, please review the San Mateo POA MOU.

Yes. Review San Mateo PD Lexipol Policy Section 1044 for specific details.

Yes. Review San Mateo PD Lexipol Policy Section 1044 for specific details.

The Police Officers’ Associate negotiated take-home-cars for detectives and the public information officer. Patrol officers have assigned vehicles they leave at the police station after their shifts. For the most current information, please review the San Mateo POA MOU.

The City of San Mateo created barracks for employees. We have sleeping quarters at headquarters and the substation for employees to refresh themselves between shifts or before their commute home. Additionally, you can learn more about affordable housing in San Mateo County here. For the most current salary and benefits, please read the San Mateo Police Officers’ Association Memorandum of Understanding (SMPOA MOU).