Pay

[Unregistered]

What is the starting and top out pay for a patrol deputy and is there a step plan?

[Unregistered]

The starting pay is roughly $44,500 but I’m not sure about the top out pay.

[Unregistered]

Deputy First Class top out around near 70k give or take

[Unregistered]

Historically, SPD officers have made about 12% more money than SSO deputies. Why? Let's find out.

In the old days (about the 1950s?) all government agencies had to determine whether or not they would pay into social security for their employees. Here are the local results for SSO and SPD:

• The SSO sheriff's department decided to pay into the social security system for all of their employees, both certified and civilian e.g. the agency pays 6% and the employee pays 6% (for a total of 12% being paid into social security).
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• The SPD officers union decided against having their employer pay into social security for them. Instead, SPD officers would personally take the money home (which was about an extra 12%).

That's why SPD officers have historically made about 12% more in salary than SSO deputies.

Today, SPD still does not pay into social security, while SSO does. That means that when an SPD officer retires, he or she does not collect social security benefits when they turn 62, but an SSO deputy does collect social security benefits when they turn 62. SPD officers need a bigger pension to survive when they hit retirement age since they will not be eligible to collect social security benefits (if SPD officers are relying exclusively on their SPD employment). Today, if SPD officers and SSO deputies are relying on the social security for survival (based only on their government service), then this is approximately how much they make each month:

• SSO deputies collect anywhere from $1300 to $1600 monthly
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• SPD officers collect $0

You can see SPD pay on page 72 of their union contract in this document:
https://www.sarasotafl.gov/home/showdocument?id=4366

SPD officers also used to get free medical insurance upon their retirement, which was a huge benefit, but that was taken away several years ago. Today, neither SPD nor SSO employees get free medical insurance upon retirement, but they both are eligible for almost-free medicare at the age of 65.

Now you know some of the backstory.

[Unregistered]

That is true about the social security deduction, however you have not mentioned the amount paid, by the officer, into his/her pension system. That amount, last I knew and please correct me if I am wrong, was 8%. Management would always quote the fact that the SPD officers had to pay into their own pension plan. You won't hear that anymore because in 2011, when Rick Scott was elected, we all took a 3% pay cut when he changed the FRS to make every employee pay 3% toward the pension while at the same time reducing the amount the Sheriff/County paid into the system from 22% to 13%. So now we are still lagging way behind other agencies in the area.