Firefighter Salary in California

Firefighter Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Firefighter Salary $63,980 CA April 01, 2025
25th Percentile Firefighter Salary $71,491 CA April 01, 2025
50th Percentile Firefighter Salary $79,741 CA April 01, 2025
75th Percentile Firefighter Salary $100,178 CA April 01, 2025
90th Percentile Firefighter Salary $118,786 CA April 01, 2025
25% $71,491 10% $63,980 90% $118,786 75% $100,178 $79,741 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

How much does a Firefighter earn in California

As of April 01, 2025, a Firefighter in California earns an average salary of $79,741 per year.
A Firefighter's salary in California can be paid hourly, weekly or monthly depending on the company and job type. Most part-time jobs will be paid hourly or weekly. Using the salary calculator, the average pay comes out to be about $38 an hour or $1,533/week or $6,645/month.
The average salary of a Firefighter ranges from $71,491 to $100,178. The average salary range for a Firefighter varies widely, which indicates that there are many opportunities for advancement, promotions, and salary increases. These opportunities depend on many factors, including skills, education, certifications, location, and years of experience.
California is ranked 2nd out of 51 states nationwide for Firefighter salaries. Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target by estimating the most accurate annual salary range for Firefighter jobs, with more online, real-time compensation data than any other website.

What is the Average Firefighter Salary by City in California?

Below is a list of the average salaries for a Firefighter in 10 cities in California. We've identified 270 cities where the typical salary for a Firefighter job is above the average in California. The top-paid city for Firefighter is San Jose and the average salary for a Firefighter job is earned $91,185 which is higher than the average in California.
This is followed by Santa Clara and Sunnyvale in second and third places, which beat the average in California by $11,444(14.35%) and $11,444(14.35%) respectively. In fourth place is Los Gatos with a salary of $91,185, which is higher than the California average salary. Milpitas and Mountain View continue the rankings.
Based on the summary of average salaries paid by cities in California, the Firefighter job market in San Jose is relatively active with a higher salary paid to compare to other cities in California.
Finally, Firefighter jobs pay differently by city, even if they are in California. The cost of living might be a key factor when considering the location and salary of a Firefighter position.
CITY Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
San Jose $91,185 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Santa Clara $91,185 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Sunnyvale $91,185 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Los Gatos $91,185 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Milpitas $91,185 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Mountain View $91,185 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Alviso $91,185 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Campbell $91,185 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Saratoga $91,156 $7,596 $1,753 $44
Cupertino $91,156 $7,596 $1,753 $44

What Similar Jobs are Paid to Firefighter in California?

There are 11 jobs that we find are related to the Firefighter job category,these similar jobs include Firefighter Paramedic,Firefighter Engineer,Firefighter Recruit,Firefighter Trainee,Industrial Firefighter,Volunteer Firefighter,Junior Firefighter,Airport Firefighter,Master Firefighter,Wildland Firefighter,and Probationary Firefighter.
All of these 11 jobs are paid between $55,436 to $83,954, and the Firefighter Engineer gets the highest paid with $83,954 from them. Those similar job salaries are paid differently by many factors such as company size, department base, responsibility, and others. If you're qualified to be hired for one of these similar jobs to the Firefighter, you could refer to the below list of job salaries based on market prices in California.
JOB TITLE Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
Firefighter Paramedic $55,436 $4,620 $1,066 $27
Firefighter Engineer $83,954 $6,996 $1,615 $40
Firefighter Recruit $71,021 $5,918 $1,366 $34
Firefighter Trainee $76,902 $6,409 $1,479 $37
Industrial Firefighter $76,902 $6,409 $1,479 $37
Volunteer Firefighter $76,902 $6,409 $1,479 $37
Junior Firefighter $56,871 $4,739 $1,094 $27
Airport Firefighter $74,261 $6,188 $1,428 $36
Master Firefighter $61,512 $5,126 $1,183 $30
Wildland Firefighter $74,261 $6,188 $1,428 $36
Probationary Firefighter $74,261 $6,188 $1,428 $36
Check out Firefighter jobs in California

FIREFIGHTER (PARAMEDIC) with Security Clearance

Department of Defense - Bridgeport, CA

Firefighter Paramedic

San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District - San Ramon, CA

FIREFIGHTER

Commander, Navy Installations - Oxnard, CA

Firefighter-Paramedic Lateral

City of Ventura - Ventura, CA