The average salary for a firefighter in California is around $85,120 per year.
Avg Salary
Firefighters earn an average yearly salary of $85,120.
Wages typically start from $52,390 and go up to $136,150.
17% above national average Updated in 2025
Firefighter earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$65.46 per hour
$136,150 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$52.70 per hour
$109,620 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$40.92 per hour
$85,120 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$31.33 per hour
$65,170 per year
10th percentile
Starting level firefighter earnings begin at:
$25.19 per hour
$52,390 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Firefighter salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $94,520 |
| California | $85,120 |
| New Jersey | $84,130 |
| Illinois | $78,380 |
| Connecticut | $77,630 |
| District of Columbia | $75,870 |
| Colorado | $74,170 |
| Maryland | $73,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,460 |
| Massachusetts | $72,800 |
| Oregon | $70,900 |
| Rhode Island | $67,380 |
| Nevada | $66,570 |
| Indiana | $62,780 |
| Hawaii | $61,130 |
| Nebraska | $61,040 |
| Texas | $60,180 |
| Ohio | $59,370 |
| Montana | $59,310 |
| Arizona | $59,280 |
| Alaska | $58,830 |
| Virginia | $58,670 |
| Florida | $58,550 |
| Wyoming | $58,090 |
| New Hampshire | $56,620 |
| Iowa | $55,810 |
| North Dakota | $55,080 |
| Michigan | $54,640 |
| Oklahoma | $49,710 |
| Tennessee | $49,300 |
| Missouri | $49,080 |
| Utah | $48,310 |
| Maine | $48,290 |
| South Dakota | $48,160 |
| Alabama | $47,600 |
| Guam | $47,440 |
| Idaho | $47,320 |
| Wisconsin | $46,850 |
| Delaware | $46,710 |
| Georgia | $46,550 |
| Vermont | $46,430 |
| Kansas | $45,900 |
| South Carolina | $42,570 |
| New Mexico | $41,590 |
| Arkansas | $39,690 |
| Minnesota | $38,110 |
| North Carolina | $37,940 |
| West Virginia | $37,350 |
| Kentucky | $37,150 |
| Mississippi | $35,880 |
| Louisiana | $33,120 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,890 |
| New York | $100,960 |
How do firefighter salaries compare to similar careers?
Firefighters earn 6% less than similar careers in California. On average, they make less than detectives but more than ambulance dispatchers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Detective salary | $125K |
| Arbitrator salary | $98K |
| Police officer salary | $119K |
| Probation officer salary | $104K |
| Fire inspector salary | $99K |
| Firefighter salary | $85K |
| Correctional officer salary | $96K |
| Librarian salary | $90K |
| Clergy member salary | $78K |
| Ambulance dispatcher salary | $80K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)