Richmond firefighter salary, 2025
Richmond is a city in Contra Costa County. 32 people worked as firefighters for Richmond in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $191,056, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Richmond?
Official pay range1
$119,562 to $144,865
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 21 of 32 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Richmond's firefighters (32 of 32) hold the title Fire Fighter, with an official range of $119,562 to $144,865. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $191,056, $46,191 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $188,743
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $44,484
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $119,562
- bottom of the Fire Fighter range
- Average pay rank
- 61st
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Richmond 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 Fighter$191,056
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 Richmond
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 | 32 | $119,562 to $144,865 | $191,056 |
| Engineers | 22 | $139,840 to $154,225 | $264,337 |
| Captains | 25 | $160,809 to $177,360 | $274,438 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 5 | $167,609 to $185,259 | $286,370 |
Full-year captains averaged $274,438, $83,382 more than firefighters.
Does Richmond pay firefighters more than other employers in Contra Costa County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Richmond next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Richmond$191,056
- All employers in Contra Costa County$206,299
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Richmond earned $15,243 less than the Contra Costa County average and $4,933 more than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Contra Costa County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Contra Costa County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Alameda County$211,608 average, 10 employers$5,309 more than Contra Costa County
- Solano County$199,614 average, 5 employers$6,685 less than Contra Costa County
- Marin County$198,701 average, 6 employers$7,598 less than Contra Costa County
- San Francisco County$188,729 average, 1 employer$17,570 less than Contra Costa County
- Sacramento County$169,199 average, 4 employers$37,100 less than Contra Costa County
- Sonoma County$166,351 average, 7 employers$39,948 less than Contra Costa County
- San Joaquin County$127,308 average, 11 employers$78,991 less than Contra Costa County
Where does Richmond rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Richmond ranks 61st of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 5 employers in Contra Costa County
Richmond ranks 3rd of 5, level with the middle employer.
Middle employer: $191,056
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 Richmond
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 Richmond's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $121,492
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $21,284
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Richmond
What is the average firefighter salary at Richmond?
Firefighters at Richmond who worked the full year earned an average of $191,056 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $188,743: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $119,562 to $144,865.
How much overtime do firefighters at Richmond earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $44,484 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $38,886: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Richmond?
$119,562 a year: the bottom of the official range for Richmond's Fire Fighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $191,056 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Richmond?
Full-year captains at Richmond averaged $274,438 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $160,809 to $177,360.
What pension do firefighters at Richmond get?
The most common pension formula among Richmond's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $121,492 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Contra Costa County
- San Ramon Valley Fire Protection$247,793 average total pay
- Moraga/Orinda Fire Protection District$219,466 average total pay
- Contra Costa County$190,594 average total pay
- El Cerrito$189,670 average total pay
- Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection Districtfirefighter pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Richmond$227,056 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Richmond$206,109 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Richmond$100,783 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Contra Costa CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Richmond figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Richmond 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 Richmond.