Palo Alto firefighter salary, 2025
Palo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County. 30 people worked as firefighters for Palo Alto in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $206,035, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Palo Alto?
Official pay range1
$126,643 to $225,651
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 20 of 30 firefighters who worked the full year.
The largest group of Palo Alto's firefighters (12 of 30) hold the title Fire Fighter EMT, with an official range of $130,749 to $168,605. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $197,587, $28,982 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $205,516
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $33,986
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $126,643
- bottom of the Fire Fighter range
- Average pay rank
- 34th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Palo Alto 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 FighterFewer than 5
- Fire Fighter EMT$197,587
- Fire Fighter EMT Haz Mat ParamedicFewer than 5
- Fire Fighter Prmdc-12.5 EMT$204,139
- Firefighter EMT Para HazmFewer than 5
- Fire Fighter Haz Mat EMTFewer than 5
- Fire Fighter Hazmat EMT ShftFewer 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 and captain pay at Palo Alto
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 | 30 | $126,643 to $225,651 | $206,035 |
| Engineers | 11 | $139,368 to $180,107 | $254,422 |
| Captains | 19 | $166,508 to $215,197 | $327,534 |
Full-year captains averaged $327,534, $121,499 more than firefighters.
Does Palo Alto pay firefighters more than other employers in Santa Clara County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Palo Alto next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Palo Alto$206,035
- All employers in Santa Clara County$214,586
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Palo Alto earned $8,551 less than the Santa Clara County average and $19,912 more than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Santa Clara County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Santa Clara County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- San Mateo County$219,236 average, 9 employers$4,650 more than Santa Clara County
- Alameda County$211,608 average, 10 employers$2,978 less than Santa Clara County
- Santa Cruz County$184,502 average, 3 employers$30,084 less than Santa Clara County
- San Benito County$160,778 average, 1 employer$53,808 less than Santa Clara County
- Stanislaus County$132,597 average, 4 employers$81,989 less than Santa Clara County
- Merced County$108,254 average, 1 employer$106,332 less than Santa Clara County
Where does Palo Alto rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Palo Alto ranks 34th of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 7 employers in Santa Clara County
Palo Alto ranks 5th of 7, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $213,043
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 Palo Alto
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 Palo Alto's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $131,518
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $17,634
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Palo Alto
What is the average firefighter salary at Palo Alto?
Firefighters at Palo Alto who worked the full year earned an average of $206,035 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $205,516: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $126,643 to $225,651.
How much overtime do firefighters at Palo Alto earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $33,986 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $32,691: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Palo Alto?
$126,643 a year: the bottom of the official range for Palo Alto's Fire Fighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $206,035 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Palo Alto?
Full-year captains at Palo Alto averaged $327,534 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $166,508 to $215,197.
What pension do firefighters at Palo Alto get?
The most common pension formula among Palo Alto's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $131,518 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Santa Clara County
- Mountain View$270,158 average total pay
- Santa Clara$235,480 average total pay
- Santa Clara County$225,543 average total pay
- Milpitas$213,043 average total pay
- San Jose$204,837 average total pay
- Gilroy$140,703 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Palo Alto$229,335 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Palo Alto$194,277 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Palo Alto$148,209 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Palo Alto$109,521 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Santa Clara CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Palo Alto figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto.