Alameda County firefighter salary, 2025

137 people worked as firefighters for Alameda County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $210,661, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at Alameda County?

Official pay range1

$114,645 to $162,075

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title

Average total pay, full-year firefighters1

$210,661

average base pay $134,462

Based on the 104 of 137 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of Alameda County's firefighters (136 of 137) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $114,645 to $139,456. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $210,395, $70,939 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$202,996
the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$48,785
average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary
$114,645
bottom of the Firefighter range
Average pay rank
26th
of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at Alameda County pay?

Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1

  1. Firefighter$114,645 to $139,456 · 136 people
    $210,395
  2. Staff Firefighter$133,241 to $162,075 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5

official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.

Fire engineer, captain and battalion chief pay at Alameda County

Ranks above firefighter, kept out of the firefighter figures on this page. Each rank's name leads to its statewide overview. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each rank's official range. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1

RankPeopleOfficial rangeAverage total pay
Firefighters137$114,645 to $162,075$210,661
Engineers95$123,236 to $149,881$263,125
Captains107$139,223 to $169,478$313,039
Battalion Chiefs12$174,400 to $212,372$352,780

Full-year captains averaged $313,039, $102,378 more than firefighters.

Does Alameda County pay firefighters more than other employers in Alameda County?

Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Alameda County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1

Full-year firefighters at Alameda County earned $947 less than the Alameda County average and $24,538 more than the California average.

Average firefighter pay in Alameda County compared to nearby counties

Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Alameda County, and how much more or less it pays.1

Alameda County Shades match the state map.

Where does Alameda County rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1

All 202 California employers

Alameda County ranks 26th of 202, above the middle employer.

Alameda County
$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 9 employers in Alameda County

Alameda County ranks 3rd of 9, above the middle employer.

Alameda County
$160k$180k$200k$220k

Middle employer: $208,935

Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.

Pension and health cover at Alameda County

As reported by the county. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year firefighter, on top of wages.1

Pension formula
2.7% at 57
the most common formula among Alameda County's firefighters
Employer pension contribution
$35,278
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$24,804
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at Alameda County

What is the average firefighter salary at Alameda County?

Firefighters at Alameda County who worked the full year earned an average of $210,661 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $202,996: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $114,645 to $162,075.

How much overtime do firefighters at Alameda County earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $48,785 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $42,893: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Alameda County?

$114,645 a year: the bottom of the official range for Alameda County's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $210,661 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at Alameda County?

Full-year captains at Alameda County averaged $313,039 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $139,223 to $169,478.

What pension do firefighters at Alameda County get?

The most common pension formula among Alameda County's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $35,278 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Alameda County

Sources for the Alameda County figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at Alameda County 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. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Alameda County.

How we read the data