Merced firefighter salary, 2025
Merced is a city in Merced County. 43 people worked as firefighters for Merced in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $110,254, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Merced?
Official pay range1
$73,735 to $98,589
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 32 of 43 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Merced's firefighters (31 of 43) hold the title Fire Fighter I - 56, with an official range of $73,735 to $89,626. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $109,268, $19,642 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $108,917
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $22,480
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $73,735
- bottom of the Fire Fighter I - 56 range
- Average pay rank
- 178th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Merced 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
- Fire Fighter I - 56$109,268
- Fire Fighter II - 56$114,525
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 Merced
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 | 43 | $73,735 to $98,589 | $110,254 |
| Engineers | 19 | $84,868 to $103,158 | $151,114 |
| Captains | 17 | $97,689 to $118,740 | $186,498 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 5 | $130,024 to $158,044 | Fewer than 5 |
Full-year captains averaged $186,498, $76,244 more than firefighters.
Does Merced pay firefighters more than other employers in Merced County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Merced next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Merced$110,254
- All employers in Merced County$108,254
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Merced earned $2,000 more than the Merced County average and $75,869 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Merced County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Merced County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Santa Clara County$214,586 average, 7 employers$106,332 more than Merced County
- San Benito County$160,778 average, 1 employer$52,524 more than Merced County
- Stanislaus County$132,597 average, 4 employers$24,343 more than Merced County
- Fresno County$130,512 average, 5 employers$22,258 more than Merced County
- Madera CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Madera County has a page here.
- Mariposa CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Mariposa County has a page here.
Where does Merced rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Merced ranks 178th 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 Merced
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 Merced's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $17,405
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $12,722
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Merced
What is the average firefighter salary at Merced?
Firefighters at Merced who worked the full year earned an average of $110,254 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $108,917: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $73,735 to $98,589.
How much overtime do firefighters at Merced earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $22,480 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $22,630: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Merced?
$73,735 a year: the bottom of the official range for Merced's Fire Fighter I - 56 title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $110,254 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Merced?
Full-year captains at Merced averaged $186,498 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $97,689 to $118,740.
What pension do firefighters at Merced get?
The most common pension formula among Merced's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $17,405 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Merced County
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Merced$135,061 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Merced$75,377 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Merced$81,994 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Merced CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Merced figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Merced 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 Merced.