Contra Costa County firefighter salary, 2025

176 people worked as firefighters for Contra Costa County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $190,594, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at Contra Costa County?

Official pay range1

$107,068 to $157,789

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title

Average total pay, full-year firefighters1

$190,594

average base pay $125,335

Based on the 129 of 176 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of Contra Costa County's firefighters (111 of 176) hold the title Firefighter/56 Hour, with an official range of $107,068 to $143,482. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $186,496, $43,014 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$187,192
the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$51,680
average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary
$107,068
bottom of the Firefighter/40 Hour range
Average pay rank
63rd
of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at Contra Costa County 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

  1. Firefighter/40 Hour$107,068 to $143,482 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Firefighter/56 Hour$107,068 to $143,482 · 111 people
    $186,496
  3. Firefighter-Paramedic/56 Hour$117,745 to $157,789 · 63 people
    $195,720

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 Contra Costa County

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

RankPeopleOfficial rangeAverage total pay
Firefighters176$107,068 to $157,789$190,594
Engineers116$117,978 to $158,102$225,104
Captains143$146,294 to $196,048$271,492
Battalion Chiefs19$218,961 to $241,405$360,372

Full-year captains averaged $271,492, $80,898 more than firefighters.

Does Contra Costa County pay firefighters more than other employers in Contra Costa County?

Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Contra Costa County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1

Full-year firefighters at Contra Costa County earned $15,705 less than the Contra Costa County average and $4,471 more than the California average.

Average firefighter pay in Contra Costa County compared to nearby counties

Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Contra Costa County, and how much more or less it pays.1

Contra Costa County Shades match the state map.

Where does Contra Costa County rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1

All 202 California employers

Contra Costa County ranks 63rd of 202, above the middle employer.

Contra Costa County
$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 5 employers in Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County ranks 4th of 5, below the middle employer.

Contra Costa County
$200k$220k$240k

Middle employer: $191,056

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 Contra Costa County

As reported by the county. 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 Contra Costa County's firefighters
Employer pension contribution
$71,341
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$14,875
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at Contra Costa County

What is the average firefighter salary at Contra Costa County?

Firefighters at Contra Costa County who worked the full year earned an average of $190,594 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $187,192: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $107,068 to $157,789.

How much overtime do firefighters at Contra Costa County earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $51,680 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $46,283: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Contra Costa County?

$107,068 a year: the bottom of the official range for Contra Costa County's Firefighter/40 Hour title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $190,594 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at Contra Costa County?

Full-year captains at Contra Costa County averaged $271,492 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $146,294 to $196,048.

What pension do firefighters at Contra Costa County get?

The most common pension formula among Contra Costa County's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $71,341 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Contra Costa County

Sources for the Contra Costa County figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at Contra Costa County 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.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Contra Costa County.

How we read the data