SALARY · FIREFIGHTERS · CALIFORNIA

Firefighters salary in California

A job title alone does not tell you what you will earn. Place matters, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars. In California, firefighters sat at a median of $85,120 a year, which is the figure I would use first when you compare offers.

MEDIAN ANNUAL SALARY

$85,120

$41 per hour at the median · That is $25,840 (43.6 percent) above the national median of $59,280 for this occupation.

$95,090Mean annual salary
$46Mean hourly wage
$31,470People employed in this job in California

Salary range

25th: $65,170Median: $85,12075th: $109,620
MeasureAnnual
25th percentile$65,170
Median (50th percentile)$85,120
75th percentile$109,620
Mean$95,090

The middle half of workers earned from $65,170 to $109,620 a year. Employment size matters too. A field with many workers in a state usually means more openings and more room to move employers without moving states. A small field can pay well but offer fewer ways in.

What stays in your pocket on the median salary

ESTIMATED TAKE-HOME PAY

$65,185 a year
$5,432 a month
Federal tax $9,896 · FICA $6,512 · State tax $3,527
Read this before you use the take-home figure. It is a single-filer estimate using the 2026 standard deduction. It leaves out credits, other deductions, local taxes, and retirement or health deductions. Your actual paycheck can differ, and for states without a verified 2026 table in this build, state tax is still to be added once its table is verified.

Same job, other states

Other jobs in California

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