San Luis Obispo firefighter salary, 2025
San Luis Obispo is a city in San Luis Obispo County. 18 people worked as firefighters for San Luis Obispo in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $170,195, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at San Luis Obispo?
Official pay range1
$81,978 to $111,800
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 14 of 18 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of San Luis Obispo's firefighters (18 of 18) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $81,978 to $111,800. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $170,195, $58,395 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $164,980
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $56,902
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $81,978
- bottom of the Firefighter range
- Average pay rank
- 99th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at San Luis Obispo 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$170,195
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 San Luis Obispo
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 | 18 | $81,978 to $111,800 | $170,195 |
| Engineers | 13 | $102,440 to $125,762 | $187,753 |
| Captains | 13 | $117,494 to $144,248 | $241,983 |
Full-year captains averaged $241,983, $71,788 more than firefighters.
Does San Luis Obispo pay firefighters more than other employers in San Luis Obispo County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: San Luis Obispo next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- San Luis Obispo$170,195
- All employers in San Luis Obispo County$140,806
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at San Luis Obispo earned $29,389 more than the San Luis Obispo County average and $15,928 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in San Luis Obispo County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders San Luis Obispo County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Santa Barbara County$179,729 average, 6 employers$38,923 more than San Luis Obispo County
- Monterey County$135,621 average, 6 employers$5,185 less than San Luis Obispo County
- Kern County$119,528 average, 3 employers$21,278 less than San Luis Obispo County
- Kings County$112,802 average, 2 employers$28,004 less than San Luis Obispo County
Where does San Luis Obispo rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
San Luis Obispo ranks 99th of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
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 Luis Obispo
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 San Luis Obispo's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $12,899
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $15,399
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at San Luis Obispo
What is the average firefighter salary at San Luis Obispo?
Firefighters at San Luis Obispo who worked the full year earned an average of $170,195 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $164,980: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $81,978 to $111,800.
How much overtime do firefighters at San Luis Obispo earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $56,902 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $48,291: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at San Luis Obispo?
$81,978 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Luis Obispo's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $170,195 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at San Luis Obispo?
Full-year captains at San Luis Obispo averaged $241,983 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $117,494 to $144,248.
What pension do firefighters at San Luis Obispo get?
The most common pension formula among San Luis Obispo's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $12,899 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in San Luis Obispo County
- Five Cities Fire Authority$122,908 average total pay
- El Paso De Robles$115,256 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at San Luis Obispo$173,802 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at San Luis Obispo$129,670 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at San Luis Obispo$104,271 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in San Luis Obispo CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the San Luis Obispo figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at San Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo.