Sacramento firefighter salary, 2025
Sacramento is a city in Sacramento County. 339 people worked as firefighters for Sacramento in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $152,985, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Sacramento?
Official pay range1
$88,496 to $120,245
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 270 of 339 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Sacramento's firefighters (324 of 339) hold the title Firefighter, with an official range of $88,496 to $118,606. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $151,758, $33,152 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $149,162
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $37,761
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $88,496
- bottom of the Firefighter range
- Average pay rank
- 132nd
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Sacramento 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$151,758
- Firefighter (Admin)$173,828
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 Sacramento
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 | 339 | $88,496 to $120,245 | $152,985 |
| Engineers | 121 | $97,814 to $131,098 | $198,010 |
| Captains | 133 | $110,598 to $148,192 | $228,315 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 17 | $138,553 to $185,669 | $286,124 |
Full-year captains averaged $228,315, $75,330 more than firefighters.
Does Sacramento pay firefighters more than other employers in Sacramento County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Sacramento next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Sacramento$152,985
- All employers in Sacramento County$169,199
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Sacramento earned $16,214 less than the Sacramento County average and $33,138 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Sacramento County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Sacramento County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Contra Costa County$206,299 average, 6 employers$37,100 more than Sacramento County
- Solano County$199,614 average, 5 employers$30,415 more than Sacramento County
- Placer County$153,257 average, 6 employers$15,942 less than Sacramento County
- El Dorado County$146,308 average, 5 employers$22,891 less than Sacramento County
- Yolo County$145,914 average, 4 employers$23,285 less than Sacramento County
- San Joaquin County$127,308 average, 11 employers$41,891 less than Sacramento County
- Amador County$87,218 average, 1 employer$81,981 less than Sacramento County
- Sutter CountyNo employerNo firefighter employer in Sutter County has a page here.
Where does Sacramento rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Sacramento ranks 132nd of 202, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
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 Sacramento
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year firefighter, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 2% at 57
- the most common formula among Sacramento's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $24,624
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $16,119
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Sacramento
What is the average firefighter salary at Sacramento?
Firefighters at Sacramento who worked the full year earned an average of $152,985 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $149,162: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $88,496 to $120,245.
How much overtime do firefighters at Sacramento earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $37,761 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $31,860: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Sacramento?
$88,496 a year: the bottom of the official range for Sacramento's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $152,985 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Sacramento?
Full-year captains at Sacramento averaged $228,315 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $110,598 to $148,192.
What pension do firefighters at Sacramento get?
The most common pension formula among Sacramento's firefighters is 2% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $24,624 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Sacramento County
- Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District$187,952 average total pay
- Cosumnes Community Services District$173,004 average total pay
- Folsom$160,308 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at Sacramento$159,413 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Sacramento$114,175 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Sacramento$107,447 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Sacramento CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Sacramento figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Sacramento 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 Sacramento.