Riverside firefighter salary, 2025
Riverside is a city in Riverside County. 114 people worked as firefighters for Riverside in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $173,876, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Riverside?
Official pay range1
$83,892 to $118,572
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 87 of 114 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Riverside's firefighters (112 of 114) hold the title Firefighter (S), with an official range of $83,892 to $112,416. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $174,208, $61,792 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $170,862
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $47,846
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $83,892
- bottom of the Firefighter (S) range
- Average pay rank
- 93rd
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Riverside 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 (S)$174,208
- Firefighter (D)Fewer 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 Riverside
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 | 114 | $83,892 to $118,572 | $173,876 |
| Engineers | 53 | $121,416 to $133,848 | $221,291 |
| Captains | 60 | $140,544 to $154,944 | $259,593 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 13 | $214,428 to $260,664 | $365,812 |
Full-year captains averaged $259,593, $85,717 more than firefighters.
Does Riverside pay firefighters more than other employers in Riverside County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Riverside next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Riverside$173,876
- All employers in Riverside County$171,295
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Riverside earned $2,581 more than the Riverside County average and $12,247 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Riverside County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Riverside County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Orange County$185,827 average, 11 employers$14,532 more than Riverside County
- San Bernardino County$185,219 average, 12 employers$13,924 more than Riverside County
- San Diego County$145,053 average, 24 employers$26,242 less than Riverside County
- Imperial County$96,857 average, 3 employers$74,438 less than Riverside County
Where does Riverside rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Riverside ranks 93rd of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 6 employers in Riverside County
Riverside ranks 4th of 6, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $174,574
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 Riverside
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 Riverside's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $26,256
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $13,354
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Riverside
What is the average firefighter salary at Riverside?
Firefighters at Riverside who worked the full year earned an average of $173,876 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $170,862: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $83,892 to $118,572.
How much overtime do firefighters at Riverside earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $47,846 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $39,945: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Riverside?
$83,892 a year: the bottom of the official range for Riverside's Firefighter (S) title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $173,876 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Riverside?
Full-year captains at Riverside averaged $259,593 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $140,544 to $154,944.
What pension do firefighters at Riverside get?
The most common pension formula among Riverside's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $26,256 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Riverside County
- Murrieta$202,570 average total pay
- Corona$182,973 average total pay
- Cathedral City$175,273 average total pay
- Hemet$152,234 average total pay
- Palm Springs$150,784 average total pay
- Calimesafirefighter pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Riverside$162,210 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Riverside$123,707 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Riverside$112,281 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Riverside$84,144 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Riverside CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Riverside figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Riverside 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 Riverside.