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)