The average salary for a firefighter in California is around $77,640 per year.
Avg Salary
Firefighters earn an average yearly salary of $77,640.
Wages typically start from $47,850 and go up to $123,750.
4% above national average Updated in 2021
Firefighter earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$59.49 per hour
$123,750 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$46.97 per hour
$97,690 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$37.33 per hour
$77,640 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$29.29 per hour
$60,930 per year
10th percentile
Starting level firefighter earnings begin at:
$23.00 per hour
$47,850 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Firefighter salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $79,910 |
| Washington | $78,620 |
| New York | $78,520 |
| California | $77,640 |
| Connecticut | $75,060 |
| Oregon | $65,120 |
| Colorado | $63,830 |
| Nebraska | $63,290 |
| Rhode Island | $63,080 |
| Hawaii | $61,130 |
| Massachusetts | $61,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,130 |
| Alaska | $60,320 |
| Illinois | $59,860 |
| Maryland | $59,860 |
| Nevada | $59,280 |
| Texas | $52,420 |
| Montana | $51,220 |
| Indiana | $50,700 |
| Florida | $50,690 |
| Ohio | $50,690 |
| New Hampshire | $50,280 |
| North Dakota | $50,130 |
| Iowa | $48,800 |
| Virginia | $48,000 |
| Arizona | $47,520 |
| Oklahoma | $47,520 |
| Vermont | $47,520 |
| Guam | $47,440 |
| South Dakota | $47,020 |
| Michigan | $46,930 |
| Missouri | $46,590 |
| Wyoming | $46,590 |
| Maine | $46,210 |
| Alabama | $40,330 |
| Wisconsin | $40,130 |
| Delaware | $40,090 |
| Idaho | $39,800 |
| Utah | $39,540 |
| Kansas | $39,490 |
| Georgia | $39,210 |
| Tennessee | $39,210 |
| South Carolina | $37,750 |
| Arkansas | $36,750 |
| New Mexico | $36,750 |
| West Virginia | $36,450 |
| North Carolina | $34,470 |
| Minnesota | $32,240 |
| Mississippi | $31,530 |
| Kentucky | $30,940 |
| Louisiana | $29,500 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,890 |
How do firefighter salaries compare to similar careers?
Firefighters earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than detectives but more than ambulance dispatchers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Detective salary | $104K |
| Police officer salary | $100K |
| Probation officer salary | $99K |
| Correctional officer salary | $82K |
| Firefighter salary | $78K |
| Fire inspector salary | $73K |
| American sign language interpreter salary | $71K |
| Clergy member salary | $63K |
| Ambulance dispatcher salary | $71K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)