Firefighters Salary in California
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Firefighters in California is $85,120. BLS estimates approximately 31,470 people work in this occupation in California. California is 43.6% above the national median ($59,280).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $52,390 | $25.19 |
| 25th percentile | $65,170 | $31.33 |
| Median (50th) | $85,120 | $40.92 |
| 75th percentile | $109,620 | $52.70 |
| 90th percentile | $136,150 | $65.46 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 0.8% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 2.3% — Very reliable
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.728
- Location quotient
- 0.78
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
California’s regional price level is above the national average (index 110.72, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $76,879 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Opportunity Score
A Career Atlas USA score combining cost-adjusted salary, job density, concentration and employment availability, ranked against every other state for this career. How we calculate this score →
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.