San Jose firefighter salary, 2025
San Jose is a city in Santa Clara County. 232 people worked as firefighters for San Jose in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $204,837, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at San Jose?
Official pay range1
$119,956 to $159,367
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 208 of 232 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of San Jose's firefighters (232 of 232) hold the title Fire Fighter, with an official range of $119,956 to $159,367. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $204,837, $45,470 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $194,614
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $47,550
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $119,956
- bottom of the Fire Fighter range
- Average pay rank
- 40th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at San Jose 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$204,837
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 Jose
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 | 232 | $119,956 to $159,367 | $204,837 |
| Engineers | 215 | $146,279 to $176,887 | $236,232 |
| Captains | 181 | $167,749 to $202,979 | $274,311 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 26 | $208,841 to $252,978 | $315,156 |
Full-year captains averaged $274,311, $69,474 more than firefighters.
Does San Jose pay firefighters more than other employers in Santa Clara County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: San Jose next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- San Jose$204,837
- All employers in Santa Clara County$214,586
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at San Jose earned $9,749 less than the Santa Clara County average and $18,714 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 San Jose rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
San Jose ranks 40th of 202, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 7 employers in Santa Clara County
San Jose ranks 6th 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 San Jose
As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year firefighter, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- Not reported
- the most common formula among San Jose's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $27,824
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $16,281
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at San Jose
What is the average firefighter salary at San Jose?
Firefighters at San Jose who worked the full year earned an average of $204,837 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $194,614: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $119,956 to $159,367.
How much overtime do firefighters at San Jose earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $47,550 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $34,364: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at San Jose?
$119,956 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Jose's Fire Fighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $204,837 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at San Jose?
Full-year captains at San Jose averaged $274,311 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $167,749 to $202,979.
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
- Palo Alto$206,035 average total pay
- Gilroy$140,703 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at San Jose$251,199 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at San Jose$158,290 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at San Jose$143,341 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at San Jose$123,477 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Santa Clara CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the San Jose figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at San Jose 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 San Jose.