Kern County firefighter salary, 2025
217 people worked as firefighters for Kern County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $117,743, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Kern County?
Official pay range1
$68,877 to $86,587
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 164 of 217 firefighters who worked the full year.
The largest group of Kern County's firefighters (90 of 217) hold the title Firefighter-C, with an official salary of $86,587. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $127,665, $41,078 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $112,547
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $29,499
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $68,877
- bottom of the Firefighter - Overhire range
- Average pay rank
- 173rd
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Kern 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
- Firefighter - OverhireFewer than 5
- Wildland FirefighterFewer than 5
- Firefighter$106,804
- Firefighter-C$127,665
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 Kern 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
| Rank | People | Official range | Average total pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefighters | 217 | $68,877 to $86,587 | $117,743 |
| Engineers | 161 | $103,056 | $158,729 |
| Captains | 196 | $120,854 | $198,554 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 29 | $138,316 | $236,716 |
Full-year captains averaged $198,554, $80,811 more than firefighters.
Does Kern County pay firefighters more than other employers in Kern County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Kern County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Kern County$117,743
- All employers in Kern County$119,528
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Kern County earned $1,785 less than the Kern County average and $68,380 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 Kern County rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Kern County ranks 173rd 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 Kern County
As reported by the county. 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 Kern County's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $71,233
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $10,989
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Kern County
What is the average firefighter salary at Kern County?
Firefighters at Kern County who worked the full year earned an average of $117,743 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $112,547: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $68,877 to $86,587.
How much overtime do firefighters at Kern County earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $29,499 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $24,834: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Kern County?
$68,877 a year: the bottom of the official range for Kern County's Firefighter - Overhire title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $117,743 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Kern County?
Full-year captains at Kern County averaged $198,554 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $120,854 to $120,854.
What pension do firefighters at Kern County get?
The most common pension formula among Kern County's firefighters is 2% at 50, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $71,233 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Kern County
- California City$139,256 average total pay
- Bakersfield$123,159 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Kern County$100,010 average total pay
- Social worker salaries at Kern County$85,504 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Kern County$71,408 average total pay
- Correctional officer salaries at Kern County$115,670 average total pay
- Nurse salaries at Kern County$143,230 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Kern CountyPay by title
- Paramedic and EMT salaries at Kern County$87,780 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Kern CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Kern County figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Kern 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.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Kern County.