San Rafael firefighter salary, 2025
San Rafael is a city in Marin County. 35 people worked as firefighters for San Rafael in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $208,191, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at San Rafael?
Official pay range1
$125,772 to $149,940
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 27 of 35 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of San Rafael's firefighters (35 of 35) hold the title Firefighter-Paramedic, with an official range of $125,772 to $149,940. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $208,191, $58,251 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $209,521
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $56,221
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $125,772
- bottom of the Firefighter-Paramedic range
- Average pay rank
- 30th
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at San Rafael 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-Paramedic$208,191
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Fire engineer and captain pay at San Rafael
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 | 35 | $125,772 to $149,940 | $208,191 |
| Engineers | 19 | $127,692 to $155,208 | $219,835 |
| Captains | 19 | $141,084 to $171,492 | $264,739 |
Full-year captains averaged $264,739, $56,548 more than firefighters.
Does San Rafael pay firefighters more than other employers in Marin County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: San Rafael next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- San Rafael$208,191
- All employers in Marin County$198,701
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at San Rafael earned $9,490 more than the Marin County average and $22,068 more than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in Marin County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Marin County, and how much more or less it pays.1
Where does San Rafael rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
San Rafael ranks 30th of 202, above 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 San Rafael
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 San Rafael's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $97,121
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $16,853
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at San Rafael
What is the average firefighter salary at San Rafael?
Firefighters at San Rafael who worked the full year earned an average of $208,191 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $209,521: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $125,772 to $149,940.
How much overtime do firefighters at San Rafael earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $56,221 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $48,781: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at San Rafael?
$125,772 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Rafael's Firefighter-Paramedic title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $208,191 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at San Rafael?
Full-year captains at San Rafael averaged $264,739 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $141,084 to $171,492.
What pension do firefighters at San Rafael get?
The most common pension formula among San Rafael's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $97,121 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Marin County
- Novato Fire Protection District$208,142 average total pay
- Central Marin Fire Authority$189,270 average total pay
- Marin County$188,458 average total pay
- Ross Valley Fire Departmentfirefighter pay
- Southern Marin Fire Protection Districtfirefighter pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Police officer salaries at San Rafael$176,390 average total pay
- 911 dispatcher salaries at San Rafael$142,390 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at San Rafael$104,763 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at San Rafael$109,739 average total pay
- Paramedic and EMT salaries at San RafaelPay by title
- Teacher salaries in Marin CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the San Rafael figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at San Rafael 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 Rafael.