Highest-Paying Fire Departments for New Firefighters
Ranked by the starting salary in each department's most recent closed entry-level posting (firefighter, firefighter/EMT, firefighter/paramedic, recruit or trainee), taken from the figure the department published. Officer and chief postings are excluded. Cost of living differs a lot between these places; a Bay Area figure and a Midwest figure are not the same money.
Updated November 5, 2026. Rebuilt weekly from FireJobs listing data.
| # | Department | Starting pay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City of Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety - Fire Division · Sunnyvale, CA pay history | $149,443 to $172,999 | Public Safety Officer 1 - Lateral, July 2026 |
| 2 | Mountlake Terrace Fire Department · Mountlake Terrace, WA pay history | $142,697 | Washington State Lateral Firefighter Paramedic, September 2026 |
| 3 | South Snohomish County Fire and Rescue Regional Fire Authority · Everett, WA pay history | $142,697 | Washington State Lateral Firefighter Paramedic, September 2026 |
| 4 | Mountain View Fire Department · Mountain View, CA pay history | $142,611 to $192,336 | Firefighter EMT/ Firefighter Paramedic (Lateral), August 2026 |
| 5 | Hayward Fire Department · Hayward, CA pay history | $122,075 to $128,170 | Firefighter Trainee, August 2026 |
| 6 | San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District · San Ramon, CA pay history | $120,465 to $188,201 | Firefighter Paramedic, May 2026 |
| 7 | Albany Fire Department · Albany, CA pay history | $120,286 to $161,229 | Firefighter/Paramedic (Entry-Level), March 2026 |
| 8 | El Segundo Fire Department · El Segundo, CA pay history | $118,272 to $140,100 | Fire Paramedic, July 2026 |
| 9 | Fremont Fire Department · Fremont, CA pay history | $118,130 | Firefighter Trainee - Paramedic (Entry Level), July 2026 |
| 10 | Montecito Fire Protection District · Santa Barbara, CA pay history | $114,072 to $149,088 | Firefighter - EMT, September 2026 |
| 11 | North Tahoe Fire Protection District · Tahoe City, CA pay history | $113,172 to $123,696 | Entry-Level & Lateral Firefighter Paramedic, October 2026 |
| 12 | Vallejo Fire Department · Vallejo, CA pay history | $111,247 to $135,222 | Firefighter / Paramedic, September 2026 |
| 13 | Vacaville Fire Department · Vacaville, CA pay history | $108,349 | Firefighter/Paramedic I, September 2026 |
| 14 | Sumner Fire Department · Sumner, WA pay history | $107,448 | Firefighter/EMT-Basic, July 2026 |
| 15 | Berkeley Fire Department · Berkeley, CA pay history | $105,985 to $133,506 | Firefighter/EMT, September 2026 |
| 16 | Alhambra Fire Department · Alhambra, CA pay history | $104,368 to $133,203 | Firefighter/Paramedic - Lateral, March 2026 |
| 17 | City of Colton Fire Department · COLTON, CA pay history | $104,162 to $126,610 | Firefighter Medic, July 2026 |
| 18 | Cordelia Fire Protection District · Fairfield, CA pay history | $103,988 to $126,410 | Firefighter/Paramedic (Entry Level & Lateral Level), October 2026 |
| 19 | Fairfield Fire Department · Fairfield, CA pay history | $103,988 to $126,410 | Firefighter/Paramedic (Entry Level & Lateral Level), October 2026 |
| 20 | Loma Linda Fire Department · Loma Linda, CA pay history | $103,168 to $145,168 | Fire Engineer (Internal Only), September 2026 |
| 21 | Carlsbad Fire Department · Carlsbad, CA pay history | $102,565 to $124,675 | Paramedic Firefighter (Entry/Lateral), August 2026 |
| 22 | Poway Fire Department · Poway, CA pay history | $102,293 to $124,332 | Firefighter/Paramedic (Entry Level or Lateral), May 2026 |
| 23 | La Mesa Fire Department · La Mesa, CA pay history | $101,308 to $135,757 | Firefighter Paramedic (Lateral and Entry Level), October 2026 |
| 24 | Elfin Forest/ Harmony Grove Fire Department · Escondido, CA pay history | $101,145 to $129,089 | Firefighter/Paramedic (Recruit), August 2026 |
| 25 | Tumwater Fire Department · Tumwater, WA pay history | $100,692 to $118,464 | Lateral Firefighter, September 2026 |
| 26 | Oak Harbor Fire Department · Oak Harbor, WA pay history | $100,494 to $121,632 | Firefighter/Paramedic (Entry / Lateral), October 2026 |
| 27 | Santa Fe Springs Fire Department · Santa Fe Springs, CA pay history | $99,994 to $130,469 | Firefighter/Paramedic (Lateral), September 2026 |
| 28 | Kirkland Fire Department · Kirkland, WA pay history | $99,048 to $133,849 | Lateral Firefighter (Multiple Vacancies), September 2026 |
| 29 | Allen Fire Department · Allen, TX pay history | $97,528 to $105,825 | Firefighter/Paramedic, May 2026 |
| 30 | Huntington Beach Fire Department · Huntington Beach, CA pay history | $97,011 to $130,000 | Firefighter Paramedic, August 2026 |
| 31 | City of Bellingham Fire Department · Bellingham, WA pay history | $96,144 | Entry Firefighter and Entry Firefighter/Paramedic (NTN FireTeam Testing Window Open), September 2026 |
| 32 | Snohomish County Fire Protection District #15 · Tulalip, WA pay history | $96,114 to $124,813 | AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER/MECHANIC I, July 2026 |
| 33 | Visalia Fire Department · Visalia, CA pay history | $95,800 to $120,207 | FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC, August 2026 |
| 34 | Normandy Fire Protection District · Saint Louis, MO pay history | $95,000 | Full Time Paramedic, May 2026 |
| 35 | Healdsburg Fire Department · Healdsburg, CA pay history | $94,791 to $115,672 | Firefighter, October 2026 |
| 36 | Hollister Fire Department · Hollister, CA pay history | $94,693 to $115,100 | Firefighter/EMT (Lateral), July 2026 |
| 37 | Hastings Fire Department · Hastings, MN pay history | $94,564 to $132,983 | Firefighter/Paramedic, September 2026 |
| 38 | North Metro Fire Rescue District · Broomfield, CO pay history | $91,183 to $128,118 | Firefighter Paramedic, July 2026 |
| 39 | Modesto Fire Department · Modesto, CA pay history | $91,029 to $116,160 | Firefighter - Lateral (112 Hr), July 2026 |
| 40 | South Kitsap Fire and Rescue · Port Orchard, WA pay history | $90,998 to $108,547 | Entry Level Firefighter/EMT or Firefighter/Paramedic, August 2026 |
| 41 | Santa Barbara City Fire Department · Santa Barbara, CA pay history | $90,597 to $122,357 | Firefighter - Entry, August 2026 |
| 42 | Bainbridge Island Fire Department · Bainbridge Island, WA pay history | $89,719 to $119,626 | Firefighter, July 2026 |
| 43 | Olympia Fire Department · Olympia, WA pay history | $89,424 to $119,232 | Firefighter, September 2026 |
| 44 | Hudson Fire Protection District · Hudson, CO pay history | $89,265 to $99,265 | Firefighter/EMT, September 2026 |
| 45 | Clark County Fire District 6 · Vancouver, WA pay history | $88,836 to $126,900 | Firefighter/EMT, September 2026 |
| 46 | City of Watertown Fire Department · Watertown, MA pay history | $88,015 | Firefighter-Paramedics, May 2026 |
| 47 | Coon Rapids Fire Department · Coon Rapids, MN pay history | $87,768 to $105,502 | Career Firefighter, September 2026 |
| 48 | Pierce County Fire District #21 (Graham Fire & Rescue) · Graham, WA pay history | $87,540 to $120,048 | Entry-Level Firefighter/EMT and Entry-Level Firefighter/Paramedic, June 2026 |
| 49 | Salt River Fire Department · Scottsdale, AZ pay history | $87,412 to $120,191 | Fire Engineer, August 2026 |
| 50 | Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services Department · Boca Raton, FL pay history | $87,406 to $87,406 | Firefighter/Paramedic, July 2026 |
Figures are from postings that have closed; current openings show their pay to FireJobs members. Browse pay by state and department.