Vista firefighter salary, 2025
Vista is a city in San Diego County. 42 people worked as firefighters for Vista in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $168,629, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Vista?
Official pay range1
$98,244 to $119,460
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title
Based on the 37 of 42 firefighters who worked the full year.
Most of Vista's firefighters (42 of 42) hold the title Fire Fighter/Pm A,B,C, with an official range of $98,244 to $119,460. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $168,629, $49,169 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $166,607
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $49,076
- average per full-year firefighter
- Starting salary
- $98,244
- bottom of the Fire Fighter/Pm A,B,C range
- Average pay rank
- 103rd
- of 202 California employers
What does each firefighter title at Vista 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/Pm A,B,C$168,629
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 Vista
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 | 42 | $98,244 to $119,460 | $168,629 |
| Engineers | 18 | $102,168 to $124,236 | $178,609 |
| Captains | 20 | $118,212 to $143,688 | $209,864 |
Full-year captains averaged $209,864, $41,235 more than firefighters.
Does Vista pay firefighters more than other employers in San Diego County?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Vista next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Vista$168,629
- All employers in San Diego County$145,053
- All employers in California$186,123
Full-year firefighters at Vista earned $23,576 more than the San Diego County average and $17,494 less than the California average.
Average firefighter pay in San Diego County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders San Diego County, and how much more or less it pays.1
Where does Vista rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1
All 202 California employers
Vista ranks 103rd of 202, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $169,232
The 23 employers in San Diego County
Vista ranks 8th of 23, above the middle employer.
Middle employer: $161,998
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 Vista
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 Vista's firefighters
- Employer pension contribution
- $18,413
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $16,180
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about firefighter pay at Vista
What is the average firefighter salary at Vista?
Firefighters at Vista who worked the full year earned an average of $168,629 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $166,607: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $98,244 to $119,460.
How much overtime do firefighters at Vista earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $49,076 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $44,045: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Vista?
$98,244 a year: the bottom of the official range for Vista's Fire Fighter/Pm A,B,C title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $168,629 in total pay.
How much does a fire captain make at Vista?
Full-year captains at Vista averaged $209,864 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $118,212 to $143,688.
What pension do firefighters at Vista get?
The most common pension formula among Vista's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $18,413 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in San Diego County
- Carlsbad$175,781 average total pay
- Santee$169,557 average total pay
- Lemon Grove$167,422 average total pay
- San Marcos$166,494 average total pay
- Encinitas$163,584 average total pay
- Coronado$161,998 average total pay
- Highest firefighter salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- Water operator salaries at Vista$83,925 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in San Diego CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Vista figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Vista 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 Vista.