The median annual wage for Firefighters in California is $83,400 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $98,200.
Pay spans roughly $51,580 at the 10th percentile to $143,830 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $40.10 per hour. An estimated 27,580 people work as firefighters in California.
| Median (annual) | $83,400 |
| Mean (annual) | $98,200 |
| Median (hourly) | $40.10 |
| 10th percentile | $51,580 |
| 90th percentile | $143,830 |
| Employment | 27,580 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.