Fountain Valley firefighter salary, 2025

Fountain Valley is a city in Orange County. 17 people worked as firefighters for Fountain Valley in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $205,375, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at Fountain Valley?

Official pay range1

$100,961 to $122,719

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

Average total pay, full-year firefighters1

$205,375

average base pay $113,237

Based on the 13 of 17 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of Fountain Valley's firefighters (17 of 17) hold the title Firefighter/Paramedic, with an official range of $100,961 to $122,719. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $205,375, $82,656 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$199,682
the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$62,846
average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary
$100,961
bottom of the Firefighter/Paramedic range
Average pay rank
37th
of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at Fountain Valley 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/Paramedic$100,961 to $122,719 · 17 people
    $205,375

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 Fountain Valley

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
Firefighters17$100,961 to $122,719$205,375
Engineers10$101,970 to $123,946$219,057
Captains10$118,119 to $143,574$240,513

Full-year captains averaged $240,513, $35,138 more than firefighters.

Does Fountain Valley pay firefighters more than other employers in Orange County?

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

Full-year firefighters at Fountain Valley earned $19,548 more than the Orange County average and $19,252 more than the California average.

Average firefighter pay in Orange County compared to nearby counties

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

Orange County Shades match the state map.

Where does Fountain Valley rank among California employers?

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

All 202 California employers

Fountain Valley ranks 37th of 202, above the middle employer.

Fountain Valley
$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 11 employers in Orange County

Fountain Valley ranks 3rd of 11, above the middle employer.

Fountain Valley
$120k$140k$160k$180k$200k

Middle employer: $184,728

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 Fountain Valley

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 Fountain Valley's firefighters
Employer pension contribution
$24,251
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$21,161
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at Fountain Valley

What is the average firefighter salary at Fountain Valley?

Firefighters at Fountain Valley who worked the full year earned an average of $205,375 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $199,682: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $100,961 to $122,719.

How much overtime do firefighters at Fountain Valley earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $62,846 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $64,651: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Fountain Valley?

$100,961 a year: the bottom of the official range for Fountain Valley's Firefighter/Paramedic title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $205,375 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at Fountain Valley?

Full-year captains at Fountain Valley averaged $240,513 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $118,119 to $143,574.

What pension do firefighters at Fountain Valley get?

The most common pension formula among Fountain Valley's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $24,251 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Orange County

Sources for the Fountain Valley figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley.

How we read the data