Highest-Paying Fire Departments in California, 2025

Where do firefighters earn the most in California?

The 25 employers with the highest average total pay of full-year firefighters, overtime included. Engineers, captains and higher ranks aren't in these figures.

Highest average total pay

Highest firefighter base pay in California

Average base pay of full-year firefighters, without overtime and other pay: closer to what the job pays for a regular schedule.

Highest average base pay

Mountain ViewCity in Santa Clara County
18 full-year firefighters$172,523
Palo AltoCity in Santa Clara County
20 full-year firefighters$161,616
South San FranciscoCity in San Mateo County
32 full-year firefighters$160,898
Santa Clara CountyCounty government
131 full-year firefighters$160,485
MilpitasCity in Santa Clara County
23 full-year firefighters$156,657
San Ramon Valley Fire ProtectionFire protection district in Contra Costa County
53 full-year firefighters$154,355
HaywardCity in Alameda County
43 full-year firefighters$151,657
Santa ClaraCity government
54 full-year firefighters$151,189
San Mateo Consolidated Fire DepartmentJoint powers authority in San Mateo County
78 full-year firefighters$146,984
Montecito Fire Protection DistrictFire protection district in Santa Barbara County
18 full-year firefighters$146,831
Chino Valley Independent Fire DistrictFire protection district in San Bernardino County
41 full-year firefighters$144,978
Novato Fire Protection DistrictFire protection district in Marin County
17 full-year firefighters$144,474
Moraga/Orinda Fire Protection DistrictFire protection district in Contra Costa County
20 full-year firefighters$143,143
San JoseCity in Santa Clara County
208 full-year firefighters$140,421
NapaCity government
34 full-year firefighters$140,272
El SegundoCity in Los Angeles County
19 full-year firefighters$139,650
FremontCity in Alameda County
42 full-year firefighters$138,066
OaklandCity in Alameda County
211 full-year firefighters$137,959
Central Fire District of Santa Cruz CountyFire protection district in Santa Cruz County
50 full-year firefighters$137,197
Los AngelesCity government
1,901 full-year firefighters$137,084
Central County Fire DepartmentJoint powers authority in San Mateo County
38 full-year firefighters$136,383
BrisbaneCity in San Mateo County
7 full-year firefighters$136,289
San BrunoCity in San Mateo County
20 full-year firefighters$135,867
San FranciscoCity government
1,291 full-year firefighters$135,744
Marin CountyCounty government
18 full-year firefighters$134,858

Which California fire departments pay new firefighters the most?

The bottom of the official pay range for each employer's entry-level firefighter title, as reported.

Highest starting salary

Where do California firefighters earn the most overtime?

Average overtime paid to full-year firefighters in 2025. A few people with a lot of overtime can pull an employer's average up.

Highest average overtime

Do cities, counties or fire districts pay firefighters more in California?

By the middle employer's average total pay: $185,467 for counties (12 employers), $179,451 for joint powers authorities (8 employers), $170,421 for cities (144 employers) and $152,990 for fire protection districts (33 employers). Of the 25 best-paying employers, 18 are cities, 4 fire protection districts, 2 joint powers authorities and 1 a county.

Counties: $185,467; middle county's average, of 12; 1 in the top 25
Joint powers authorities: $179,451; middle joint powers authority's average, of 8; 2 in the top 25
Cities: $170,421; middle city's average, of 144; 18 in the top 25
Fire protection districts: $152,990; middle fire protection district's average, of 33; 4 in the top 25

Which California counties pay firefighters the most?

Average total pay of full-year firefighters across every employer in the county, for the 42 counties with at least 5 of them. The dashed line marks the California average of $186,123.

San Mateo$219,236
Santa Clara$214,586
Napa$211,876
Alameda$211,608
Los Angeles$206,861
Contra Costa$206,299
Solano$199,614
Marin$198,701
San Francisco$188,729
Orange$185,827
San Bernardino$185,219
Santa Cruz$184,502
Ventura$183,417
Santa Barbara$179,729
Riverside$171,295
Sacramento$169,199
Sonoma$166,351
San Benito$160,778
Placer$153,257
El Dorado$146,308
Yolo$145,914

San Diego$145,053
San Luis Obispo$140,806
Monterey$135,621
Stanislaus$132,597
Fresno$130,512
Butte$129,813
Nevada$129,356
San Joaquin$127,308
Calaveras$120,014
Kern$119,528
Kings$112,802
Merced$108,254
Tulare$107,877
Shasta$104,485
Lake$100,238
Mendocino$98,642
Imperial$96,857
Humboldt$95,213
Yuba$90,298
Amador$87,218
Tehama$78,255

The highest-paying employer for firefighters in each California county

By average total pay of full-year firefighters, among the county's employers with at least 5 of them.

Alameda CountyFremont$225,769highest of 9
Amador CountyAmador County$87,218only employer with an average
Butte CountyChico$129,813only employer with an average
Calaveras CountyEbbetts Pass Fire Protection District$124,911only employer with an average
Contra Costa CountySan Ramon Valley Fire Protection$247,793highest of 5
El Dorado CountyEl Dorado Hills County Water District$174,658highest of 3
Fresno CountyClovis$176,683highest of 5
Humboldt CountyHumboldt Bay Fire$95,213only employer with an average
Imperial CountyCalexico$128,000highest of 3
Kern CountyCalifornia City$139,256highest of 3
Kings CountyHanford$130,042highest of 2
Lake CountyNorthshore Fire Protection District$104,134only employer with an average
Los Angeles CountyCulver City$260,589highest of 27
Marin CountySan Rafael$208,191highest of 4
Mendocino CountyUkiah$98,642only employer with an average
Merced CountyMerced$110,254only employer with an average
Monterey CountyMonterey$168,908highest of 5
Napa CountyNapa$225,457highest of 2
Nevada CountyTruckee Fire Protection District$155,627highest of 3
Orange CountyHuntington Beach$205,850highest of 11
Placer CountyRocklin$172,724highest of 6
Riverside CountyMurrieta$202,570highest of 6
Sacramento CountySacramento Metropolitan Fire District$187,952highest of 4
San Benito CountyHollister$160,778only employer with an average
San Bernardino CountyChino Valley Independent Fire District$242,813highest of 11
San Diego CountyEl Cajon$193,849highest of 23
San Francisco CountySan Francisco$188,729only employer with an average
San Joaquin CountySouth San Joaquin County Fire Authority$176,046highest of 5
San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo$170,195highest of 3
San Mateo CountySouth San Francisco$240,483highest of 7
Santa Barbara CountyMontecito Fire Protection District$245,450highest of 6
Santa Clara CountyMountain View$270,158highest of 7
Santa Cruz CountyCentral Fire District of Santa Cruz County$198,417highest of 3
Shasta CountyRedding$109,754only employer with an average
Solano CountyFairfield$244,339highest of 5
Sonoma CountySanta Rosa$199,701highest of 6
Stanislaus CountyModesto$141,462highest of 3
Tehama CountyRed Bluff$78,255only employer with an average
Tulare CountyVisalia$144,268highest of 5
Ventura CountyVentura County$192,279highest of 3
Yolo CountyWest Sacramento$186,477highest of 4
Yuba CountyLinda Fire Protection District$101,059highest of 2

Questions about the highest firefighter salaries in California

Which California fire department pays firefighters the most?

Mountain View, where full-year firefighters earned an average of $270,158 in 2025, overtime included. Culver City ($260,589) and San Ramon Valley Fire Protection ($247,793) follow.

Where do new firefighters earn the most in California?

The highest starting salary, the bottom of the official range for the entry-level firefighter title, is at Hayward: $140,912. Mountain View ($137,126) and Santa Clara County ($132,473) follow.

Where do firefighters earn the most overtime in California?

Full-year firefighters at Compton were paid an average of $124,213 in overtime in 2025, the most of any California employer with at least 5 of them. The California average is $53,541.

Which California county pays firefighters the most?

San Mateo County, where full-year firefighters across its city, county and district fire departments earned an average of $219,236, followed by Santa Clara County ($214,586) and Napa County ($211,876).

Sources for the California firefighter rankings

Pay figures cover 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. Every figure covers at least 5 people. Starting salaries are the bottom of each employer's official range for its entry title, as reported. Rankings and medians are our own arithmetic on these figures.

State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges and wages as reported by each city, county and special district.

How we read the data

Highest firefighter salaries in California, by employer, 2025