Sheriff and Metro Fire Pay are Top in County (Poll)

The firefighters and law enforcement officers who protect Fair Oaks are the highest-paid in the county, according to a Sacramento Bee database.

The average pay of a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department deputy is $96,513, while an average Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighter wage is $128,805.

Those numbers are the highest in Sacramento County, and compare with state averages of $92,976 for police officers and $113,882 for firefighters. However, Folsom Police Department captains earn more on average than sheriff's department captains, according to the Bee.

The Sacramento County Sheriff earns $310,547, while the Metro Fire Chief makes $266,395, according to the Bee.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman Dep. Jason Ramos said the department generally doesn't comment on salary information, but said many factors influence average salary among any agency, including educational incentives and overtime.

"I wouldn’t draw any hasty conclusions because there is, in fact, an element of an apples to oranges inherent in the so-called 'comparisons,' " Ramos said in an email.  

A spokesman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said officials would issue a formal response with more context in the next couple days.

"It's not as easy to say as, 'These guys make more money than everybody,'" Assistant Chief Scott Cockrum said, adding that other duties and events contribute to average pay figures. "It's not as easy to say as, 'This guy made X and it's based on a salary.' "

The amounts include "overtime, incentive pay and payouts upon retirement," and are 2010 figures, the Bee wrote.

Fair Oaks, what do you think of these figures? Do these public servants earn a fair wage, or should their pay be closer to that of other agencies? Vote in our poll below and leave a comment with your thoughts.