Petaluma firefighter salary, 2025
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County. 36 people worked as firefighters for Petaluma in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $176,763, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Petaluma?
Official pay range1
$95,478 to $128,179
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 28 of 36 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Petaluma's firefighters (27 of 36) hold the title Firefighter/Paramedic, with an official range of $105,872 to $128,179. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $175,119, $46,940 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $175,130
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $50,313
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $95,478
- bottom of the Firefighter range
- Average pay rank
- 85th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Petaluma 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$180,871
- Firefighter/Paramedic$175,119
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 Petaluma
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 | 36 | $95,478 to $128,179 | $176,763 |
| Engineers | 9 | $107,887 to $130,749 | $196,850 |
| Captains | 11 | $120,383 to $145,961 | $218,100 |
Full-year captains averaged $218,100, $41,337 more than firefighters.
Does Petaluma pay firefighters more than other employers in Sonoma County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Petaluma next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Petaluma$176,763
- All employers in Sonoma County$166,351
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Petaluma earned $10,412 more than the Sonoma County average and $9,360 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Sonoma County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Sonoma County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Napa County$211,876 average, 2 employers$45,525 more than Sonoma County
- Contra Costa County$206,299 average, 6 employers$39,948 more than Sonoma County
- Solano County$199,614 average, 5 employers$33,263 more than Sonoma County
- Marin County$198,701 average, 6 employers$32,350 more than Sonoma County
- Lake County$100,238 average, 2 employers$66,113 less than Sonoma County
- Mendocino County$98,642 average, 2 employers$67,709 less than Sonoma County
Where does Petaluma rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Petaluma ranks 85th of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 6 employers in Sonoma County
Petaluma ranks 2nd of 6, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $155,844
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 Petaluma
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 Petaluma's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $25,743
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $23,404
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Petaluma
What is the average firefighter salary at Petaluma?
Firefighters at Petaluma who worked the full year earned an average of $176,763 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $175,130: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $95,478 to $128,179.
How much overtime do firefighters at Petaluma earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $50,313 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $44,888: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Petaluma?
$95,478 a year: the bottom of the official range for Petaluma's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $176,763 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Petaluma?
Full-year captains at Petaluma averaged $218,100 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $120,383 to $145,961.
What pension do firefighters at Petaluma get?
The most common pension formula among Petaluma's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $25,743 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Sonoma County
- Santa Rosa$199,701 average total pay
- Sonoma County Fire District$155,875 average total pay
- Sonoma Valley Fire District$155,812 average total pay
- Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District$126,948 average total pay
- Cloverdale Fire Protection District$96,742 average total pay
- Gold Ridge Fire Protection Districtfirefighter pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Petaluma$155,209 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Petaluma$123,261 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Petaluma$142,135 average total pay
- Paramedic and EMT salaries at PetalumaPay by title
- Teacher salaries in Sonoma CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Petaluma figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Petaluma 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 Petaluma.