Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) firefighter salary, 2025
Orange County Fire Authority is a joint powers authority in Orange County: a public agency that two or more public agencies set up by agreement to run a shared service.1 606 people worked as firefighters for Orange County Fire Authority in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $182,856, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Orange County Fire Authority?
Official pay range2
$78,973 to $106,201
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 457 of 606 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Orange County Fire Authority's firefighters (606 of 606) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $78,973 to $106,201. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $182,856, $76,655 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $185,839
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $59,645
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $78,973
- bottom of the Firefighter range
- Average pay rank
- 76th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Orange County Fire Authority 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.2
- Firefighter$182,856
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 Orange County Fire Authority
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.2
| Rank | People | Official range | Average total pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefighters | 606 | $78,973 to $106,201 | $182,856 |
| Engineers | 279 | $89,136 to $119,101 | $218,582 |
| Captains | 313 | $103,405 to $139,427 | $276,538 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 39 | $192,541 to $202,675 | $365,942 |
Full-year captains averaged $276,538, $93,682 more than firefighters.
Does Orange County Fire Authority pay firefighters more than other employers in Orange County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Orange County Fire Authority next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.2
- Orange County Fire Authority$182,856
- All employers in Orange County$185,827
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Orange County Fire Authority earned $2,971 less than the Orange County average and $3,267 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Orange County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Orange County, and how much more or less it pays.2
- Los Angeles County$206,861 average, 27 employers$21,034 more than Orange County
- San Bernardino County$185,219 average, 12 employers$608 less than Orange County
- Riverside County$171,295 average, 7 employers$14,532 less than Orange County
- San Diego County$145,053 average, 24 employers$40,774 less than Orange County
Where does Orange County Fire Authority rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.2
All 202 California employers
Orange County Fire Authority ranks 76th of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 11 employers in Orange County
Orange County Fire Authority ranks 7th of 11, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $184,728
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 Orange County Fire Authority
As reported by the agency. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year firefighter, on top of wages.2
- Pension formula
- 2.7% at 57
- the most common formula among Orange County Fire Authority's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $33,277
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $26,360
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Orange County Fire Authority
What is the average firefighter salary at Orange County Fire Authority?
Firefighters at Orange County Fire Authority who worked the full year earned an average of $182,856 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $185,839: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $78,973 to $106,201.
How much overtime do firefighters at Orange County Fire Authority earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $59,645 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $57,476: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at the OCFA?
$78,973 a year: the bottom of the official range for Orange County Fire Authority's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $182,856 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at the OCFA?
Full-year captains at Orange County Fire Authority averaged $276,538 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $103,405 to $139,427.
What pension do firefighters at Orange County Fire Authority get?
The most common pension formula among Orange County Fire Authority's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the agency. The employer paid an average of $33,277 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Orange County
- Huntington Beach$205,850 average total pay
- Costa Mesa$205,433 average total pay
- Fountain Valley$205,375 average total pay
- Newport Beach$204,856 average total pay
- Anaheim$201,770 average total pay
- Orange$184,728 average total pay
- Brea$166,433 average total pay
- Laguna Beach$151,216 average total pay
- Fullerton$126,955 average total pay
- Placentia$111,551 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Orange County Fire Authority$196,274 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Orange CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Orange County Fire Authority figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Orange County Fire Authority 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.
- California Government Code, section 6502: public agencies may jointly exercise their common powers by agreement.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Orange County Fire Authority.