Firefighters in California
Is California a good place for you to work as a Firefighter?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Firefighters in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Firefighters in California is growing faster than average.
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Firefighters in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
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How Many Firefighters Work in California?
In California, there were 32,910 people working as Firefighters in the year 2018.
There were 31,150 Firefighters employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 1,760 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 4,240 Firefighters working in it, which means California has more Firefighters than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Firefighters in this state are growing at a rate of 5.1% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.2%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS is projecting 2,110 annual Firefighters job openings in California, and 31,100 total jobs in the year 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 24,300 annual jobs and 350,900 total jobs in 2026.
What do Firefighters Make in California?
In 2018 wages for Firefighters ranged from $40,100 to $135,240 with $74,700 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $19.28 to $65.02. The median hourly rate was $35.92.
Workers in this field were paid a median of $34.74 an hour in 2017.
The hourly rate grew by $1.18.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
Top California Metros for Firefighters
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Firefighters.
| Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 8,870 | $91,630 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 4,430 | $96,040 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 3,190 | $67,300 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 2,840 | $63,090 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 1,880 | $65,830 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,560 | $111,900 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 770 | n/a |
| Salinas, CA | 760 | n/a |
| Fresno, CA | 720 | $63,510 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 710 | $57,260 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 580 | $54,720 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 580 | $86,670 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 480 | $57,790 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 470 | $96,990 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 460 | $57,560 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 370 | $64,780 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 320 | $73,770 |
| Modesto, CA | 310 | $73,700 |
| Chico, CA | 270 | $57,570 |
| Redding, CA | 250 | $52,850 |
| Napa, CA | 190 | $61,780 |
| El Centro, CA | 170 | $35,700 |
| Yuba City, CA | 160 | $46,250 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 130 | $48,570 |
Top States for Firefighters Employment
The table below shows the states where most Firefighters work.
| State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| California | 32,910 | $74,700 |
| Texas | 29,110 | $51,240 |
| Florida | 22,690 | $50,620 |
| Ohio | 19,210 | $45,910 |
| Illinois | 17,170 | $52,650 |
| North Carolina | 14,870 | $32,590 |
| New York | 11,880 | $81,240 |
| Massachusetts | 11,640 | $59,330 |
| Georgia | 11,280 | $37,240 |
| Virginia | 10,160 | $49,110 |
| Wisconsin | 9,450 | $35,130 |
| Washington | 7,750 | $75,200 |
| Indiana | 7,430 | $50,560 |
| Minnesota | 6,840 | $30,560 |
| Michigan | 6,640 | $45,210 |
| Missouri | 6,500 | $47,750 |
| Arizona | 6,380 | $44,190 |
| Louisiana | 6,220 | $28,200 |
| Tennessee | 5,710 | $39,610 |
| Alabama | 5,680 | $41,330 |
Below are the states where Firefighters get paid the most:
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $81,240 |
| New Jersey | $76,380 |
| Washington | $75,200 |
| California | $74,700 |
| Oregon | $67,820 |
| Connecticut | $67,260 |
| Nevada | $64,920 |
| Hawaii | $60,420 |
| Maryland | $59,870 |
| Massachusetts | $59,330 |
What Major Will Prepare You For a Firefighter Career?
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
- Fire Protection
- Fire Science
- Wildl&/Forest Firefighting & Investigation
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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