Bakersfield firefighter salary, 2025
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County. 61 people worked as firefighters for Bakersfield in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $123,159, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Bakersfield?
Official pay range1
$75,211 to $91,437
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 48 of 61 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Bakersfield's firefighters (61 of 61) hold the title Firefighter - Suppression, with an official range of $75,211 to $91,437. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $123,159, $31,722 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $124,363
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $33,365
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $75,211
- bottom of the Firefighter - Suppression range
- Average pay rank
- 166th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Bakersfield 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 - Suppression$123,159
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 Bakersfield
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 | 61 | $75,211 to $91,437 | $123,159 |
| Engineers | 58 | $83,007 to $100,914 | $148,351 |
| Captains | 68 | $99,174 to $120,570 | $169,873 |
Full-year captains averaged $169,873, $46,714 more than firefighters.
Does Bakersfield pay firefighters more than other employers in Kern County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Bakersfield next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Bakersfield$123,159
- All employers in Kern County$119,528
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Bakersfield earned $3,631 more than the Kern County average and $62,964 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Kern County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Kern County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Los Angeles County$206,861 average, 27 employers$87,333 more than Kern County
- San Bernardino County$185,219 average, 12 employers$65,691 more than Kern County
- Ventura County$183,417 average, 3 employers$63,889 more than Kern County
- Santa Barbara County$179,729 average, 6 employers$60,201 more than Kern County
- San Luis Obispo County$140,806 average, 3 employers$21,278 more than Kern County
- Kings County$112,802 average, 2 employers$6,726 less than Kern County
- Tulare County$107,877 average, 5 employers$11,651 less than Kern County
- Inyo CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Inyo County has a page here.
Where does Bakersfield rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Bakersfield ranks 166th 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 Bakersfield
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 55
- the most common formula among Bakersfield's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $19,471
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $11,864
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Bakersfield
What is the average firefighter salary at Bakersfield?
Firefighters at Bakersfield who worked the full year earned an average of $123,159 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $124,363: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $75,211 to $91,437.
How much overtime do firefighters at Bakersfield earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $33,365 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $33,838: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Bakersfield?
$75,211 a year: the bottom of the official range for Bakersfield's Firefighter - Suppression title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $123,159 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Bakersfield?
Full-year captains at Bakersfield averaged $169,873 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $99,174 to $120,570.
What pension do firefighters at Bakersfield get?
The most common pension formula among Bakersfield's firefighters is 2.7% at 55, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $19,471 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Kern County
- California City$139,256 average total pay
- Kern County$117,743 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Bakersfield$120,052 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Bakersfield$82,987 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Bakersfield$81,572 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Kern CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Bakersfield figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield.