Hayward firefighter salary, 2025
Hayward is a city in Alameda County. 50 people worked as firefighters for Hayward in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $206,177, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Hayward?
Official pay range1
$140,912 to $171,371
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 43 of 50 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Hayward's firefighters (50 of 50) hold the title Firefighter (56 Hr), with an official range of $140,912 to $171,371. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $206,177, $34,806 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $196,312
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $34,753
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $140,912
- bottom of the Firefighter (56 Hr) range
- Average pay rank
- 33rd
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Hayward 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 (56 Hr)$206,177
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 Hayward
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 | 50 | $140,912 to $171,371 | $206,177 |
| Engineers | 37 | $149,531 to $181,796 | $275,461 |
| Captains | 41 | $186,397 to $205,558 | $309,496 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 6 | $212,984 to $258,935 | $409,785 |
Full-year captains averaged $309,496, $103,319 more than firefighters.
Does Hayward pay firefighters more than other employers in Alameda County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Hayward next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Hayward$206,177
- All employers in Alameda County$211,608
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Hayward earned $5,431 less than the Alameda County average and $20,054 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
- San Mateo County$219,236 average, 9 employers$7,628 more than Alameda County
- Santa Clara County$214,586 average, 7 employers$2,978 more than Alameda County
- Contra Costa County$206,299 average, 6 employers$5,309 less than Alameda County
- San Francisco County$188,729 average, 1 employer$22,879 less than Alameda County
- Stanislaus County$132,597 average, 4 employers$79,011 less than Alameda County
- San Joaquin County$127,308 average, 11 employers$84,300 less than Alameda County
Where does Hayward rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Hayward ranks 33rd of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 9 employers in Alameda County
Hayward ranks 6th of 9, below the middle employer.
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 Hayward
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 Hayward's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $29,865
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $18,390
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Hayward
What is the average firefighter salary at Hayward?
Firefighters at Hayward who worked the full year earned an average of $206,177 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $196,312: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $140,912 to $171,371.
How much overtime do firefighters at Hayward earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $34,753 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $33,913: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Hayward?
$140,912 a year: the bottom of the official range for Hayward's Firefighter (56 Hr) title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $206,177 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Hayward?
Full-year captains at Hayward averaged $309,496 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $186,397 to $205,558.
What pension do firefighters at Hayward get?
The most common pension formula among Hayward's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $29,865 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Alameda County
- Fremont$225,769 average total pay
- Oakland$216,496 average total pay
- Alameda County$210,661 average total pay
- Berkeley$210,083 average total pay
- Alameda$208,935 average total pay
- Albany$199,617 average total pay
- Pleasanton$196,645 average total pay
- East Bay Regional Park District$149,752 average total pay
- Piedmontfirefighter pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Hayward$227,831 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Hayward$171,711 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Hayward$156,677 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Hayward$112,914 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Alameda CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Hayward figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Hayward 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 Hayward.