California firefighter salaries by employer, 2025

15,357 people worked as firefighters for 353 cities, counties and fire districts in California in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $186,123, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary in California?

Lowest-paying employer

$80,303

North Central Fire Protection District
Fire protection district in Fresno County

Average total pay, full-year California firefighters1

$186,123

average base pay $117,924

Highest-paying employer

$270,158

Mountain View
City in Santa Clara County

Highest- and lowest-paying among the 153 employers with at least 10 full-year firefighters. The lists below include every employer with at least 5.

Firefighters
15,357
11,567 of them worked the full year
Employers
353
230 with 5 or more firefighters, in 43 counties
Median total pay
$181,950
the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$53,541
average per full-year firefighter

Employers also paid an average of $32,330 into pensions and $19,557 for health, dental and vision cover per full-year firefighter, on top of wages.1

What stands out in California firefighter pay

Which California employers pay firefighters the most?

By average total pay of full-year firefighters, among employers with at least 5 of them.

Highest average total pay

  1. Mountain ViewCity in Santa Clara County
    18 full-year firefighters    $270,158
  2. Culver CityCity in Los Angeles County
    30 full-year firefighters    $260,589
  3. San Ramon Valley Fire ProtectionFire protection district in Contra Costa County
    53 full-year firefighters    $247,793
  4. Montecito Fire Protection DistrictFire protection district in Santa Barbara County
    18 full-year firefighters    $245,450
  5. FairfieldCity in Solano County
    17 full-year firefighters    $244,339
  6. Chino Valley Independent Fire DistrictFire protection district in San Bernardino County
    41 full-year firefighters    $242,813
  7. Beverly HillsCity in Los Angeles County
    38 full-year firefighters    $242,548
  8. South PasadenaCity in Los Angeles County
    5 full-year firefighters    $240,682
  9. South San FranciscoCity in San Mateo County
    32 full-year firefighters    $240,483
  10. Santa ClaraCity government
    54 full-year firefighters    $235,480

California average, $186,123

Highest firefighter salaries in California: the top employers by total pay, base pay and starting salary

Highest firefighter starting salaries in California: every department compared

Compare firefighter pay at every California employer

Official pay range across each department's firefighter titles, and what full-year firefighters earned. Engineers, captains and higher ranks aren't in these figures. Click a column to sort it.

Showing 1 to 25 of 230 employers, highest average total pay first.

Mountain ViewSanta Clara CountySanta Clara$270,158$77,050$137,126 to $199,791312.7% at 57
Culver CityLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles$260,589$87,982$81,104 to $117,774362.7% at 57
San Ramon Valley Fire ProtectionContra Costa CountyContra Costa$247,793$76,618$135,992 to $184,579592.7% at 57
Montecito Fire Protection DistrictSanta Barbara CountySanta Barbara$245,450$69,564$109,319 to $158,735192.7% at 57
FairfieldSolano CountySolano$244,339$72,364$103,994 to $126,406222.7% at 57
Chino Valley Independent Fire DistrictSan Bernardino CountySan Bernardino$242,813$85,336$124,145 to $150,905542.7% at 57
Beverly HillsLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles$242,548$62,840$107,444 to $133,488462.7% at 57
South PasadenaLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles$240,682$110,358$105,468 to $128,208112.7% at 57
South San FranciscoSan Mateo CountySan Mateo$240,483$43,331$97,718 to $118,789392.7% at 57
Santa ClaraSanta Clara CountySanta Clara$235,480$28,794$104,408 to $201,710652.7% at 57
Santa MonicaLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles$230,552$77,978$100,704 to $144,228452.7% at 57
ComptonLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles$229,479$124,213$72,911 to $85,501372.7% at 57
FremontAlameda CountyAlameda$225,769$67,125$118,130 to $143,572432.7% at 57
Santa Clara CountySanta Clara CountySanta Clara$225,543$42,646$132,473 to $177,1241682.7% at 57
NapaNapa CountyNapa$225,457$62,609$107,550 to $148,673452.7% at 57
San Mateo Consolidated Fire DepartmentSan Mateo CountySan Mateo$220,998$46,294$127,131 to $158,025872.7% at 57
Moraga/Orinda Fire Protection DistrictContra Costa CountyContra Costa$219,466$51,731$118,680 to $158,592212.7% at 57
Los AngelesLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles$217,243$74,228$87,883 to $128,2872,0422.16% at 55
Central County Fire DepartmentSan Mateo CountySan Mateo$216,758$44,153$119,726 to $151,348562.7% at 57
OaklandAlameda CountyAlameda$216,496$61,248$108,381 to $156,8672592.7% at 57
San BrunoSan Mateo CountySan Mateo$215,990$41,067$114,853 to $140,924202.7% at 57
Long BeachLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles$213,911$80,721$89,826 to $110,3062252.7% at 57
Daly CitySan Mateo CountySan Mateo$213,140$54,982$119,153 to $144,831202.7% at 57
MilpitasSanta Clara CountySanta Clara$213,043$34,979$121,383 to $182,185282.7% at 57
BurbankLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles$211,387$50,676$86,330 to $116,104632% at 57

"Fewer than 5": fewer than 5 firefighters worked the full year, too few for an average. "Not reported": the employer reported no pay range, so we can't tell who worked the full year. "Left out": the employer's records don't show who worked the full year (each person's own pay reported as their range, or total pay reported as salary), so we set its pay figures aside. Employers with fewer than 5 firefighters aren't listed. Los Angeles's ranges come from the City's own salary schedules: it reported none to the State Controller except for Firefighter I.

California fire department pay by rank: firefighter, engineer, lieutenant, captain and battalion chief

Every city, county and district fire department in California, 2025. Each rank leads to its own page. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each rank's official range. Pay: full-year staff, overtime included.1

RankPositionsOfficial rangeAverage total payAverage overtime
Firefighters15,357Varies by department$186,123$53,541
Engineers6,761$107,922 to $130,489$216,584$68,675
Lieutenants359$145,045$238,584$57,071
Captains7,383$127,579 to $153,960$261,904$87,350
Battalion Chiefs1,304$160,953 to $198,558$312,313$89,638

Which California jobs count as firefighters here, and which don't?

The State Controller's file lists every public job by title. We decided each fire title by hand, from its name and department.

Counted as firefighters

  • Career firefighters at city and county fire departments. Every level (Firefighter I, II and III), firefighter-paramedics and firefighter-EMTs, on 40- and 56-hour schedules.
  • Firefighters at fire protection districts and fire authorities. Orange County Fire Authority and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, for example, and airport fire crews.
  • Santa Clara County's Firefighter/Engineers. The county fire department's base rank: the next rank up is Fire Captain.

Shown separately or left out

  • Engineers, lieutenants, captains and battalion chiefs. In the pay by rank table above, each with its own page, not in the firefighter figures. Engineers include apparatus operators and firefighter specialists, as some departments name the rank.
  • Volunteer, reserve, paid-call, seasonal and extra-help firefighters. Fire districts that report only these, with fewer than 5 firefighters paid at least a full year at the state minimum wage, get no page.
  • Recruits and trainees in the academy, and hand crews.
  • Chiefs above battalion chief, and civilian fire staff. Division, deputy and assistant chiefs, fire marshals and inspectors, dispatchers, mechanics and lifeguards.
  • Cal Fire. The state's fire department reports in a separate state file, not in the city, county and district files these pages use.

Every California employer with a firefighter pay page, by county

230 employers with at least 5 firefighters. Open a county to see its employers. Employers without an average had fewer than 5 full-year firefighters, or their records don't show who worked the full year. The map shades each county by the average total pay of full-year firefighters across its employers; click a county to open its list.

Average total pay, full-year firefighters, 2025under $108,000$108,000 to $131,000$131,000 to $166,000$166,000 to $189,000$189,000 or moreLeft outNo employer in the dataEach shade holds about a fifth of the counties. Outlines: US Census Bureau.

Questions about firefighter pay in California

How much do firefighters make in California?

Full-year firefighters at California city, county and district fire departments earned an average of $186,123 in 2025, including an average of $53,541 in overtime. The middle firefighter earned $181,950: half earned more, half less.

What is the average fireman salary in California?

$186,123 in total pay for firefighters who worked the full year in 2025, overtime included; $117,924 in base pay alone. Fire captains averaged $261,904.

Which California fire department pays firefighters the most?

Among departments with at least 10 full-year firefighters, Mountain View has the highest average total pay, $270,158, followed by Culver City ($260,589) and San Ramon Valley Fire Protection ($247,793).

Which California fire department pays firefighters the least?

Among departments with at least 10 full-year firefighters, North Central Fire Protection District has the lowest average total pay, $80,303, followed by Tulare County ($82,422) and Brawley ($85,672).

How much do fire engineers, captains and battalion chiefs make in California?

Full-year fire engineers averaged $216,584, lieutenants averaged $238,584, captains averaged $261,904 and battalion chiefs averaged $312,313 in 2025, against $186,123 for firefighters.

Which California fire departments have the most firefighters?

Los Angeles (2,042 firefighters), San Francisco (1,417) and Los Angeles County (1,400), counting firefighter positions held in 2025, without engineers, captains and higher ranks.

Sources for the California firefighter figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formulas and employer contributions as reported by each city, county and special district.
  2. Association of Bay Area Governments, Our Members: the nine Bay Area counties.

How we read the data