Chico firefighter salary, 2025
Chico is a city in Butte County. 19 people worked as firefighters for Chico in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $129,813, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Chico?
Official pay range1
$73,615 to $98,659
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 16 of 19 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Chico's firefighters (19 of 19) hold the title Fire Fighter, with an official range of $73,615 to $98,659. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $129,813, $31,154 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $126,437
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $32,697
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $73,615
- bottom of the Fire Fighter range
- Average pay rank
- 156th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Chico 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
- Fire Fighter$129,813
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 Chico
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 | 19 | $73,615 to $98,659 | $129,813 |
| Engineers | 18 | $85,263 to $114,238 | $160,761 |
| Captains | 20 | $98,688 to $132,234 | $183,244 |
Full-year captains averaged $183,244, $53,431 more than firefighters.
Does Chico pay firefighters more than other California employers?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Chico next to every California employer together.1
- Chico$129,813
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Chico earned $56,310 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Butte County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Butte County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Yuba County$90,298 average, 2 employers$39,515 less than Butte County
- Tehama County$78,255 average, 1 employer$51,558 less than Butte County
- Colusa CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Colusa County has a page here.
- Glenn CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Glenn County has a page here.
- Plumas CountyFewer than 5Fewer than 5 full-year firefighters at Plumas County's employers.
- Sutter CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Sutter County has a page here.
Where does Chico rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Chico ranks 156th of 202, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
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 Chico
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 Chico's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $21,042
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $14,258
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Chico
What is the average firefighter salary at Chico?
Firefighters at Chico who worked the full year earned an average of $129,813 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $126,437: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $73,615 to $98,659.
How much overtime do firefighters at Chico earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $32,697 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $29,436: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Chico?
$73,615 a year: the bottom of the official range for Chico's Fire Fighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $129,813 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Chico?
Full-year captains at Chico averaged $183,244 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $98,688 to $132,234.
What pension do firefighters at Chico get?
The most common pension formula among Chico's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $21,042 a year into the pension plan.
More public salaries at Chico
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Chico$133,893 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Chico$113,913 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Chico$121,032 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Butte CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Chico figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Chico 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 Chico.