Berkeley firefighter salary, 2025

Berkeley is a city in Alameda County. 46 people worked as firefighters for Berkeley in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $210,083, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at Berkeley?

Official pay range¹

$105,985 to $133,506

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

Average total pay, full-year firefighters¹

$210,083

average base pay $103,526

Based on the 23 of 46 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of Berkeley's firefighters (43 of 46) hold the title 8113 Firefighter 56, with an official range of $105,985 to $133,506. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $210,677, $77,171 above the top of the range.

Median total pay: $190,121; the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime: $64,007; average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary: $105,985; bottom of the 8013 Firefighter 40A range
Average pay rank: 27th; of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at Berkeley 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

8013 Firefighter 40A$105,985 to $133,506 · fewer than 5 people
Fewer than 5
8113 Firefighter 56$105,985 to $133,506 · 43 people
$210,677

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

Fire engineer and captain pay at Berkeley

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

Rank	People	Official range	Average total pay
Firefighters	46	$105,985 to $133,506	$210,083
Engineers	34	$130,588 to $143,956	$229,987
Captains	35	$155,025 to $170,888	$267,176

Full-year captains averaged $267,176, $57,093 more than firefighters.

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

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

Berkeley$210,083
All employers in Alameda County$211,608
All employers in California$186,123

Full-year firefighters at Berkeley earned $1,525 less than the Alameda County average and $23,960 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 Berkeley rank among California employers?

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

All 202 California employers

Berkeley ranks 27th of 202, above the middle employer.

Berkeley

$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 9 employers in Alameda County

Berkeley ranks 4th of 9, above the middle employer.

Berkeley

$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 Berkeley

As reported by the city. 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 Berkeley's firefighters
Employer pension contribution: $89,412; average per year
Health, dental and vision: $28,290; average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at Berkeley

What is the average firefighter salary at Berkeley?

Firefighters at Berkeley who worked the full year earned an average of $210,083 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $190,121: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $105,985 to $133,506.

How much overtime do firefighters at Berkeley earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $64,007 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $47,904: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Berkeley?

$105,985 a year: the bottom of the official range for Berkeley's 8013 Firefighter 40A title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $210,083 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at Berkeley?

Full-year captains at Berkeley averaged $267,176 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $155,025 to $170,888.

What pension do firefighters at Berkeley get?

The most common pension formula among Berkeley's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $89,412 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Alameda County

Sources for the Berkeley figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at Berkeley 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.

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

How we read the data