National City firefighter salary, 2025

National City is a city in San Diego County. 17 people worked as firefighters for National City in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $156,871, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at National City?

Official pay range¹

$81,993 to $104,646

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

Average total pay, full-year firefighters¹

$156,871

average base pay $95,988

Based on the 16 of 17 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of National City's firefighters (17 of 17) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $81,993 to $104,646. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $156,871, $52,225 above the top of the range.

Median total pay: $153,082; the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime: $45,025; average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary: $81,993; bottom of the Firefighter range
Average pay rank: 124th; of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at National City 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$81,993 to $104,646 · 17 people
$156,871

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 National City

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	17	$81,993 to $104,646	$156,871
Engineers	10	$96,311 to $122,920	$183,530
Captains	12	$111,134 to $141,839	$226,796

Full-year captains averaged $226,796, $69,925 more than firefighters.

Does National City pay firefighters more than other employers in San Diego County?

Average total pay of full-year firefighters: National City next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.¹

National City$156,871
All employers in San Diego County$145,053
All employers in California$186,123

Full-year firefighters at National City earned $11,818 more than the San Diego County average and $29,252 less than the California average.

Average firefighter pay in San Diego County compared to nearby counties

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

San Diego County Shades match the state map.

Where does National City rank among California employers?

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

All 202 California employers

National City ranks 124th of 202, below the middle employer.

National City

$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 23 employers in San Diego County

National City ranks 17th of 23, below the middle employer.

National City

$120k$140k$160k$180k

Middle employer: $161,998

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 National City

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 National City's firefighters
Employer pension contribution: $24,278; average per year
Health, dental and vision: $6,785; average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at National City

What is the average firefighter salary at National City?

Firefighters at National City who worked the full year earned an average of $156,871 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $153,082: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $81,993 to $104,646.

How much overtime do firefighters at National City earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $45,025 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $40,562: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at National City?

$81,993 a year: the bottom of the official range for National City's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $156,871 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at National City?

Full-year captains at National City averaged $226,796 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $111,134 to $141,839.

What pension do firefighters at National City get?

The most common pension formula among National City's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $24,278 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Diego County

Sources for the National City figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at National City 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 National City.

How we read the data