Oakland firefighter salary, 2025
Oakland is a city in Alameda County. 259 people worked as firefighters for Oakland in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $216,496, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Oakland?
Official pay range1
$108,381 to $156,867
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 211 of 259 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Oakland's firefighters (169 of 259) hold the title Fire Fighter, with an official range of $108,381 to $142,617. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $211,532, $68,915 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $206,943
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $61,248
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $108,381
- bottom of the Fire Fighter range
- Average pay rank
- 20th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Oakland 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$211,532
- Fire Fighter Paramedic$225,881
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Fire engineer, lieutenant, captain and battalion chief pay at Oakland
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 | 259 | $108,381 to $156,867 | $216,496 |
| Engineers | 77 | $158,392 | $284,164 |
| Lieutenants | 71 | $166,135 | $286,843 |
| Captains | 53 | $179,611 | $312,769 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 18 | $216,033 | $411,064 |
Full-year captains averaged $312,769, $96,273 more than firefighters.
Does Oakland pay firefighters more than other employers in Alameda County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Oakland next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Oakland$216,496
- All employers in Alameda County$211,608
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Oakland earned $4,888 more than the Alameda County average and $30,373 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 Oakland rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Oakland ranks 20th of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 9 employers in Alameda County
Oakland ranks 2nd of 9, above 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 Oakland
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 Oakland's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $98,928
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $28,470
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Oakland
What is the average firefighter salary at Oakland?
Firefighters at Oakland who worked the full year earned an average of $216,496 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $206,943: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $108,381 to $156,867.
How much overtime do firefighters at Oakland earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $61,248 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $51,714: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Oakland?
$108,381 a year: the bottom of the official range for Oakland's Fire Fighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $216,496 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Oakland?
Full-year captains at Oakland averaged $312,769 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $179,611 to $179,611.
What pension do firefighters at Oakland get?
The most common pension formula among Oakland's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $98,928 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Alameda County
- Fremont$225,769 average total pay
- Alameda County$210,661 average total pay
- Berkeley$210,083 average total pay
- Alameda$208,935 average total pay
- Hayward$206,177 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 Oakland$220,747 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Oakland$165,752 average total pay
- Social worker salaries at Oakland$88,808 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Oakland$126,509 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Oakland$111,842 average total pay
- Paramedic and EMT salaries at Oakland$98,710 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Alameda CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Oakland figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Oakland 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 Oakland.