Firefighters Salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Firefighters in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $64,980. BLS estimates approximately 380 people work in this occupation in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is 9.6% 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 | $40,590 | $19.52 |
| 25th percentile | $54,120 | $26.02 |
| Median (50th) | $64,980 | $31.24 |
| 75th percentile | $90,290 | $43.41 |
| 90th percentile | $99,550 | $47.86 |
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 4.5% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 10.1% — 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
- 3.849
- Location quotient
- 1.73
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA’s regional price level is above the national average (index 109.896, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $59,129 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.
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.