Chula Vista firefighter salary, 2025

Chula Vista is a city in San Diego County. 97 people worked as firefighters for Chula Vista in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $153,151, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at Chula Vista?

Official pay range1

$81,485 to $119,597

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

Average total pay, full-year firefighters1

$153,151

average base pay $99,719

Based on the 77 of 97 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of Chula Vista's firefighters (50 of 97) hold the title Firefighter/Paramedic - A, with an official range of $93,707 to $119,597. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $157,669, $38,072 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$150,790
the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$43,728
average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary
$81,485
bottom of the Firefighter - A range
Average pay rank
130th
of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at Chula Vista 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 - A$81,485 to $103,997 · 42 people
    $137,687
  2. Firefighter - C$81,485 to $103,998 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  3. Firefighter/Paramedic - A$93,707 to $119,597 · 50 people
    $157,669
  4. Firefighter/Paramedic - C$93,708 to $119,597 · 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 Chula Vista

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
Firefighters97$81,485 to $119,597$153,151
Engineers43$98,246 to $125,390$193,622
Captains50$113,107 to $144,356$240,079
Battalion Chiefs9$140,086 to $178,789$285,801

Full-year captains averaged $240,079, $86,928 more than firefighters.

Does Chula Vista pay firefighters more than other employers in San Diego County?

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

Full-year firefighters at Chula Vista earned $8,098 more than the San Diego County average and $32,972 less than the California average.

Average firefighter pay in San Diego County compared to nearby counties

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

San Diego County Shades match the state map.

Where does Chula Vista rank among California employers?

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

All 202 California employers

Chula Vista ranks 130th of 202, below the middle employer.

Chula Vista
$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 23 employers in San Diego County

Chula Vista ranks 19th of 23, below the middle employer.

Chula Vista
$120k$140k$160k$180k

Middle employer: $161,998

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 Chula Vista

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 Chula Vista's firefighters
Employer pension contribution
$23,697
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$17,047
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at Chula Vista

What is the average firefighter salary at Chula Vista?

Firefighters at Chula Vista who worked the full year earned an average of $153,151 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $150,790: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $81,485 to $119,597.

How much overtime do firefighters at Chula Vista earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $43,728 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $39,941: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Chula Vista?

$81,485 a year: the bottom of the official range for Chula Vista's Firefighter - A title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $153,151 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at Chula Vista?

Full-year captains at Chula Vista averaged $240,079 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $113,107 to $144,356.

What pension do firefighters at Chula Vista get?

The most common pension formula among Chula Vista's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $23,697 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Diego County

Sources for the Chula Vista figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista.

How we read the data