San Diego firefighter salary, 2025
San Diego is a city in San Diego County. 491 people worked as firefighters for San Diego in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $118,424, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at San Diego?
Official pay range1
$54,350 to $92,394
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 302 of 491 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of San Diego's firefighters (326 of 491) hold the title Fire Fighter II, with an official range of $72,946 to $88,005. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $118,857, $30,852 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $115,278
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $30,880
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $54,350
- bottom of the Fire Fighter I range
- Average pay rank
- 172nd
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at San Diego 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 I$70,837
- Fire Fighter II$118,857
- Fire Fighter III$147,964
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 San Diego
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 | 491 | $54,350 to $92,394 | $118,424 |
| Engineers | 225 | $86,299 to $104,333 | $156,333 |
| Captains | 251 | $100,381 to $121,534 | $194,452 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 41 | $122,907 to $148,720 | $261,992 |
Full-year captains averaged $194,452, $76,028 more than firefighters.
Does San Diego pay firefighters more than other employers in San Diego County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: San Diego next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- San Diego$118,424
- All employers in San Diego County$145,053
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at San Diego earned $26,629 less than the San Diego County average and $67,699 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in San Diego County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders San Diego County, and how much more or less it pays.1
Where does San Diego rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
San Diego ranks 172nd of 202, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 23 employers in San Diego County
San Diego ranks 23rd of 23, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $161,998
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 San Diego
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year firefighter, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 2.5% at 50
- the most common formula among San Diego's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $17,794
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $11,869
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at San Diego
What is the average firefighter salary at San Diego?
Firefighters at San Diego who worked the full year earned an average of $118,424 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $115,278: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $54,350 to $92,394.
How much overtime do firefighters at San Diego earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $30,880 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $27,350: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at San Diego?
$54,350 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Diego's Fire Fighter I title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $118,424 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at San Diego?
Full-year captains at San Diego averaged $194,452 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $100,381 to $121,534.
What pension do firefighters at San Diego get?
The most common pension formula among San Diego's firefighters is 2.5% at 50, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $17,794 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in San Diego County
- National City$156,871 average total pay
- Escondido$154,642 average total pay
- Chula Vista$153,151 average total pay
- North County Fire Protection District (San Diego)$152,353 average total pay
- Imperial Beach$131,015 average total pay
- Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District$129,885 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at San Diego$152,844 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at San Diego$124,987 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at San Diego$121,070 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at San Diego$105,421 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in San Diego CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the San Diego figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at San Diego 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 San Diego.