Watsonville firefighter salary, 2025
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County. 17 people worked as firefighters for Watsonville in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $127,218, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Watsonville?
Official pay range1
$78,525 to $105,231
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 6 of 17 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Watsonville's firefighters (17 of 17) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $78,525 to $105,231. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $127,218, $21,987 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $129,824
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $25,988
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- Not reported
- no official range reported
- Average pay rank
- 162nd
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Watsonville 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$127,218
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 Watsonville
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 | 17 | $78,525 to $105,231 | $127,218 |
| Engineers | 9 | $90,721 to $121,576 | $160,808 |
| Captains | 12 | $101,490 to $136,007 | $214,499 |
Full-year captains averaged $214,499, $87,281 more than firefighters.
Does Watsonville pay firefighters more than other employers in Santa Cruz County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Watsonville next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Watsonville$127,218
- All employers in Santa Cruz County$184,502
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Watsonville earned $57,284 less than the Santa Cruz County average and $58,905 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Santa Cruz County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Santa Cruz County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- San Mateo County$219,236 average, 9 employers$34,734 more than Santa Cruz County
- Santa Clara County$214,586 average, 7 employers$30,084 more than Santa Cruz County
- San Benito County$160,778 average, 1 employer$23,724 less than Santa Cruz County
- Monterey County$135,621 average, 6 employers$48,881 less than Santa Cruz County
Where does Watsonville rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Watsonville ranks 162nd of 202, below 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 Watsonville
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 Watsonville's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $14,208
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $16,894
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Watsonville
What is the average firefighter salary at Watsonville?
Firefighters at Watsonville who worked the full year earned an average of $127,218 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $129,824: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $78,525 to $105,231.
How much overtime do firefighters at Watsonville earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $25,988 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $26,070: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
How much does a fire captain make at Watsonville?
Full-year captains at Watsonville averaged $214,499 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $101,490 to $136,007.
What pension do firefighters at Watsonville get?
The most common pension formula among Watsonville's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $14,208 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Santa Cruz County
- Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County$198,417 average total pay
- Santa Cruz$170,855 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Watsonville$177,063 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Watsonville$108,358 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Watsonville$82,919 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Santa Cruz CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Watsonville figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Watsonville 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 Watsonville.