El Centro firefighter salary, 2025
El Centro is a city in Imperial County. 19 people worked as firefighters for El Centro in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $87,343, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at El Centro?
Official pay range1
$61,188 to $80,316
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 13 of 19 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of El Centro's firefighters (19 of 19) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $61,188 to $80,316. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $87,343, $7,027 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $87,342
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $16,436
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $61,188
- bottom of the Firefighter range
- Average pay rank
- 195th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at El Centro 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
- Firefighter$87,343
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 El Centro
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 | $61,188 to $80,316 | $87,343 |
| Engineers | 9 | $69,348 to $91,020 | $126,021 |
| Captains | 9 | $82,572 to $108,372 | $156,577 |
Full-year captains averaged $156,577, $69,234 more than firefighters.
Does El Centro pay firefighters more than other employers in Imperial County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: El Centro next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- El Centro$87,343
- All employers in Imperial County$96,857
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at El Centro earned $9,514 less than the Imperial County average and $98,780 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Imperial County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Imperial County, and how much more or less it pays.1
Where does El Centro rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
El Centro ranks 195th 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 El Centro
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 El Centro's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $11,520
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $12,209
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at El Centro
What is the average firefighter salary at El Centro?
Firefighters at El Centro who worked the full year earned an average of $87,343 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $87,342: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $61,188 to $80,316.
How much overtime do firefighters at El Centro earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $16,436 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $15,606: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at El Centro?
$61,188 a year: the bottom of the official range for El Centro's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $87,343 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at El Centro?
Full-year captains at El Centro averaged $156,577 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $82,572 to $108,372.
What pension do firefighters at El Centro get?
The most common pension formula among El Centro's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $11,520 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Imperial County
- Calexico$128,000 average total pay
- Brawley$85,672 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at El Centro$107,581 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at El CentroPay by title
- Water operator salaries at El Centro$94,215 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Imperial CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the El Centro figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at El Centro 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 El Centro.