Montecito Fire Protection District firefighter salary, 2025

Montecito Fire Protection District is a fire protection district in Santa Barbara County. 19 people worked as firefighters for Montecito Fire Protection District in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $245,450, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at Montecito Fire Protection District?

Official pay range1

$109,319 to $158,735

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title

Average total pay, full-year firefighters1

$245,450

average base pay $146,831

Based on the 18 of 19 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of Montecito Fire Protection District's firefighters (10 of 19) hold the title Firefighter/Paramedic, with an official range of $121,440 to $158,735. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $259,351, $100,616 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$239,545
the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$69,564
average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary
$109,319
bottom of the Firefighter range
Average pay rank
4th
of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at Montecito Fire Protection District 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

  1. Firefighter$109,319 to $142,876 · 9 people
    $228,074
  2. Firefighter/Paramedic$121,440 to $158,735 · 10 people
    $259,351

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 Montecito Fire Protection District

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

RankPeopleOfficial rangeAverage total pay
Firefighters19$109,319 to $158,735$245,450
Engineers6$146,752 to $157,010Fewer than 5
Captains6$168,809 to $180,723$336,505

Full-year captains averaged $336,505, $91,055 more than firefighters.

Does Montecito Fire Protection District pay firefighters more than other employers in Santa Barbara County?

Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Montecito Fire Protection District next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1

Full-year firefighters at Montecito Fire Protection District earned $65,721 more than the Santa Barbara County average and $59,327 more than the California average.

Average firefighter pay in Santa Barbara County compared to nearby counties

Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Santa Barbara County, and how much more or less it pays.1

Santa Barbara County Shades match the state map.

Where does Montecito Fire Protection District rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1

All 202 California employers

Montecito Fire Protection District ranks 4th of 202, above the middle employer.

Montecito Fire Protection District
$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 6 employers in Santa Barbara County

Montecito Fire Protection District ranks 1st of 6, above the middle employer.

Montecito Fire Protection District
$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $172,358

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 Montecito Fire Protection District

As reported by the agency. 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 Montecito Fire Protection District's firefighters
Employer pension contribution
$26,211
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$30,481
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at Montecito Fire Protection District

What is the average firefighter salary at Montecito Fire Protection District?

Firefighters at Montecito Fire Protection District who worked the full year earned an average of $245,450 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $239,545: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $109,319 to $158,735.

How much overtime do firefighters at Montecito Fire Protection District earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $69,564 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $58,974: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Montecito Fire Protection District?

$109,319 a year: the bottom of the official range for Montecito Fire Protection District's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $245,450 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at Montecito Fire Protection District?

Full-year captains at Montecito Fire Protection District averaged $336,505 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $168,809 to $180,723.

What pension do firefighters at Montecito Fire Protection District get?

The most common pension formula among Montecito Fire Protection District's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the agency. The employer paid an average of $26,211 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Barbara County

Sources for the Montecito Fire Protection District figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at Montecito Fire Protection District 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.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Montecito Fire Protection District.

How we read the data