El Cerrito firefighter salary, 2025
El Cerrito is a city in Contra Costa County. 7 people worked as firefighters for El Cerrito in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $189,670, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at El Cerrito?
Official pay range1
$115,188 to $154,008
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 7 of 7 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of El Cerrito's firefighters (5 of 7) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $115,188 to $139,992. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $182,417, $42,425 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $190,388
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $47,056
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $115,188
- bottom of the Firefighter range
- Average pay rank
- 65th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at El Cerrito 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$182,417
- Firefighter/Paramedic AssignmentFewer than 5
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 El Cerrito
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 | 7 | $115,188 to $154,008 | $189,670 |
| Engineers | 7 | $126,996 to $154,380 | $207,043 |
| Captains | 16 | $160,968 to $195,636 | $271,009 |
Full-year captains averaged $271,009, $81,339 more than firefighters.
Does El Cerrito pay firefighters more than other employers in Contra Costa County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: El Cerrito next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- El Cerrito$189,670
- All employers in Contra Costa County$206,299
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at El Cerrito earned $16,629 less than the Contra Costa County average and $3,547 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
- Alameda County$211,608 average, 10 employers$5,309 more than Contra Costa County
- Solano County$199,614 average, 5 employers$6,685 less than Contra Costa County
- Marin County$198,701 average, 6 employers$7,598 less than Contra Costa County
- San Francisco County$188,729 average, 1 employer$17,570 less than Contra Costa County
- Sacramento County$169,199 average, 4 employers$37,100 less than Contra Costa County
- Sonoma County$166,351 average, 7 employers$39,948 less than Contra Costa County
- San Joaquin County$127,308 average, 11 employers$78,991 less than Contra Costa County
Where does El Cerrito rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
El Cerrito ranks 65th of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 5 employers in Contra Costa County
El Cerrito ranks 5th of 5, below the middle employer.
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 El Cerrito
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 El Cerrito's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $19,686
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $10,841
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at El Cerrito
What is the average firefighter salary at El Cerrito?
Firefighters at El Cerrito who worked the full year earned an average of $189,670 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $190,388: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $115,188 to $154,008.
How much overtime do firefighters at El Cerrito earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $47,056 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $45,713: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at El Cerrito?
$115,188 a year: the bottom of the official range for El Cerrito's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $189,670 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at El Cerrito?
Full-year captains at El Cerrito averaged $271,009 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $160,968 to $195,636.
What pension do firefighters at El Cerrito get?
The most common pension formula among El Cerrito's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $19,686 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Contra Costa County
- San Ramon Valley Fire Protection$247,793 average total pay
- Moraga/Orinda Fire Protection District$219,466 average total pay
- Richmond$191,056 average total pay
- Contra Costa County$190,594 average total pay
- Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection Districtfirefighter pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at El Cerrito$170,639 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Contra Costa CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the El Cerrito figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at El Cerrito 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 El Cerrito.