Ontario firefighter salary, 2025
Ontario is a city in San Bernardino County. 92 people worked as firefighters for Ontario in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $192,230, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Ontario?
Official pay range1
$97,287 to $118,232
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 86 of 92 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Ontario's firefighters (91 of 92) hold the title Firefighter - 56 Hr, with an official range of $97,287 to $118,232. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $192,107, $73,875 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $191,092
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $51,231
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $97,287
- bottom of the Firefighter - 56 Hr range
- Average pay rank
- 59th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Ontario 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 - 56 Hr$192,107
- Firefighter - 40 HrFewer than 5
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 Ontario
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 | 92 | $97,287 to $118,232 | $192,230 |
| Engineers | 55 | $115,917 to $140,832 | $266,649 |
| Captains | 53 | $136,973 to $166,518 | $376,798 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 6 | $177,569 to $215,822 | $510,970 |
Full-year captains averaged $376,798, $184,568 more than firefighters.
Does Ontario pay firefighters more than other employers in San Bernardino County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Ontario next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Ontario$192,230
- All employers in San Bernardino County$185,219
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Ontario earned $7,011 more than the San Bernardino County average and $6,107 more than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in San Bernardino County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders San Bernardino County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Los Angeles County$206,861 average, 27 employers$21,642 more than San Bernardino County
- Orange County$185,827 average, 11 employers$608 more than San Bernardino County
- Riverside County$171,295 average, 7 employers$13,924 less than San Bernardino County
- Kern County$119,528 average, 3 employers$65,691 less than San Bernardino County
- Inyo CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Inyo County has a page here.
Where does Ontario rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Ontario ranks 59th of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 11 employers in San Bernardino County
Ontario ranks 3rd of 11, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $175,084
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 Ontario
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 Ontario's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $28,377
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $22,258
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Ontario
What is the average firefighter salary at Ontario?
Firefighters at Ontario who worked the full year earned an average of $192,230 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $191,092: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $97,287 to $118,232.
How much overtime do firefighters at Ontario earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $51,231 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $47,652: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Ontario?
$97,287 a year: the bottom of the official range for Ontario's Firefighter - 56 Hr title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $192,230 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Ontario?
Full-year captains at Ontario averaged $376,798 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $136,973 to $166,518.
What pension do firefighters at Ontario get?
The most common pension formula among Ontario's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $28,377 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in San Bernardino County
- Colton$203,855 average total pay
- Rancho Cucamonga$182,044 average total pay
- San Bernardino County$177,656 average total pay
- Victorville$175,084 average total pay
- Barstow$167,390 average total pay
- Redlands$165,786 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Ontario$183,570 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Ontario$131,482 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Ontario$114,548 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Ontario$92,743 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in San Bernardino CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Ontario figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Ontario 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 Ontario.