San Bernardino County firefighter salary, 2025

162 people worked as firefighters for San Bernardino County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $177,656, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at San Bernardino County?

Official pay range1

$51,542 to $108,597

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title

Average total pay, full-year firefighters1

$177,656

average base pay $84,485

Based on the 138 of 162 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of San Bernardino County's firefighters (158 of 162) hold the title Firefighter Paramedic, with an official range of $60,590 to $108,597. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $177,406, $68,809 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$185,345
the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$83,542
average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary
$51,542
bottom of the Firefighter Emt range
Average pay rank
83rd
of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at San Bernardino County 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

  1. Firefighter Emt$51,542 to $97,053 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Firefighter Paramedic$60,590 to $108,597 · 158 people
    $177,406
  3. Firefighter Paramedic- 40$60,590 to $108,597 · fewer than 5 people
    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 San Bernardino County

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

RankPeopleOfficial rangeAverage total pay
Firefighters162$51,542 to $108,597$177,656
Engineers162$69,805 to $122,096$226,554
Captains176$83,470 to $149,677$286,278
Battalion Chiefs28$102,045 to $128,253$264,584

Full-year captains averaged $286,278, $108,622 more than firefighters.

Does San Bernardino County pay firefighters more than other employers in San Bernardino County?

Average total pay of full-year firefighters: San Bernardino County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1

Full-year firefighters at San Bernardino County earned $7,563 less than the San Bernardino County average and $8,467 less than the California average.

Average firefighter pay in San Bernardino County compared to nearby counties

Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders San Bernardino County, and how much more or less it pays.1

San Bernardino County Shades match the state map.

Where does San Bernardino County rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1

All 202 California employers

San Bernardino County ranks 83rd of 202, above the middle employer.

San Bernardino County
$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 11 employers in San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County ranks 5th of 11, above the middle employer.

San Bernardino County
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $175,084

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 San Bernardino County

As reported by the county. 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 San Bernardino County's firefighters
Employer pension contribution
$50,601
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$15,098
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at San Bernardino County

What is the average firefighter salary at San Bernardino County?

Firefighters at San Bernardino County who worked the full year earned an average of $177,656 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $185,345: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $51,542 to $108,597.

How much overtime do firefighters at San Bernardino County earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $83,542 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $88,314: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at San Bernardino County?

$51,542 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Bernardino County's Firefighter Emt title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $177,656 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at San Bernardino County?

Full-year captains at San Bernardino County averaged $286,278 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $83,470 to $149,677.

What pension do firefighters at San Bernardino County get?

The most common pension formula among San Bernardino County's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $50,601 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Bernardino County

Sources for the San Bernardino County figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at San Bernardino County 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.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by San Bernardino County.

How we read the data