Firefighter Salary in California

The average firefighter salary in California is $88,320 per year (estimate). This works out to approximately $42.46 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year.

California's average firefighter salary of $88,320 is above the national average of $58,290 by 30,030 (51.5%). California is one of the higher-paying states for this occupation.

Firefighter salaries in California are influenced by cost of living, local demand for workers, industry concentration, years of experience, education level, employer size, and unionization rates. Metro areas within California may pay significantly more than rural areas.

Based on the annual salary of $88,320, the approximate hourly rate for a firefighter in California is $42.46 per hour (assuming 2,080 hours per year). The national average hourly rate is $28.02.

In these estimates, the top paying states for Firefighters are: California ($88,320), Massachusetts ($74,320), New Jersey ($74,320), Washington ($74,320), Alaska ($72,320).

State figures on this page are estimates for comparison and planning. They are not official BLS state-level values. For official numbers, check the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables.