Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $85,120 | $62,011 | +37% |
| Median hourly wage | $40.92 | $29.81 | +37% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $76,893.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in California is $85,120, or about $40.92 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. California is +37% above the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in California typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 31,470 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $85,120, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 278 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 65% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $163,960, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers at $131,210, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at $127,630 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 278 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 65% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $163,960 | $13,200 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $131,210 | $4,550 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $127,630 | $8,170 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $124,840 | $12,610 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $118,880 | $65,940 |
| Transit and Railroad Police | $109,650 | $100 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.