Fresno firefighter salary, 2025
Fresno is a city in Fresno County. 141 people worked as firefighters for Fresno in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $133,748, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Fresno?
Official pay range1
$76,272 to $112,740
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 132 of 141 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Fresno's firefighters (141 of 141) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $76,272 to $112,740. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $133,748, $21,008 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $125,485
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $35,784
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $76,272
- bottom of the Firefighter range
- Average pay rank
- 149th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Fresno 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$133,748
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 Fresno
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 | 141 | $76,272 to $112,740 | $133,748 |
| Engineers | 101 | $85,416 to $126,192 | $178,878 |
| Captains | 83 | $95,328 to $140,880 | $206,712 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 16 | $121,752 to $179,856 | $234,882 |
Full-year captains averaged $206,712, $72,964 more than firefighters.
Does Fresno pay firefighters more than other employers in Fresno County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Fresno next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Fresno$133,748
- All employers in Fresno County$130,512
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Fresno earned $3,236 more than the Fresno County average and $52,375 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Fresno County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Fresno County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- San Benito County$160,778 average, 1 employer$30,266 more than Fresno County
- Monterey County$135,621 average, 6 employers$5,109 more than Fresno County
- Kings County$112,802 average, 2 employers$17,710 less than Fresno County
- Merced County$108,254 average, 1 employer$22,258 less than Fresno County
- Tulare County$107,877 average, 5 employers$22,635 less than Fresno County
- Inyo CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Inyo County has a page here.
- Madera CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Madera County has a page here.
- Mono CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Mono County has a page here.
Where does Fresno rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Fresno ranks 149th of 202, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 5 employers in Fresno County
Fresno ranks 2nd of 5, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $119,036
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 Fresno
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year firefighter, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 2% at 50
- the most common formula among Fresno's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $18,808
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $12,568
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Fresno
What is the average firefighter salary at Fresno?
Firefighters at Fresno who worked the full year earned an average of $133,748 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $125,485: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $76,272 to $112,740.
How much overtime do firefighters at Fresno earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $35,784 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $31,580: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Fresno?
$76,272 a year: the bottom of the official range for Fresno's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $133,748 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Fresno?
Full-year captains at Fresno averaged $206,712 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $95,328 to $140,880.
What pension do firefighters at Fresno get?
The most common pension formula among Fresno's firefighters is 2% at 50, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $18,808 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Fresno County
- Clovis$176,683 average total pay
- Coalinga$119,036 average total pay
- Sanger$89,499 average total pay
- North Central Fire Protection District$80,303 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Fresno$131,963 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Fresno$82,454 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Fresno$88,445 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Fresno CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Fresno figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Fresno 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 Fresno.