California · 2026 pay · 5,088 people
How much does a fire captain make in California?
$272,852typical pay for full-year fire captains in 2026
$245,784 – $291,732what most people earned
Counting everyone paid during 2026, including part-year workers, typical pay was $252,619. Each employer counts with its latest published year (2025 or 2026). Typical pay rose 4.8% from the same employers' year before.
✓ Official data from 8 agencies · Matches each agency's latest release · Show sourcesHide sources
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- LA County Auditor-Controller · lacounty.gov ↗
- LA City Controller · controller.lacity.gov ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- City of San Jose · sanjoseca.gov ↗
- City of Richmond · ci.richmond.ca.us ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
Where fire captains work
Typical pay at each employer, 2026 (everyone paid).
- Los Angeles County737 people$302,261
- Los Angeles575 people$306,498
- Orange County Fire Authority313 people$254,966
- City of San Diego251 people$196,393
- San Jose181 people$256,052
- Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District151 people$263,240
- Ventura County119 people$263,535
- City of Sacramento116 people$207,911
- Alameda County95 people$294,340
- City of Long Beach85 people$286,929
- Santa Clara County84 people$277,477
- City of Fresno83 people$196,498
- City of Modesto65 people$226,007
- City of Anaheim64 people$272,497
- Contra Costa County63 people$237,422
- City of Ontario53 people$352,196
- City of Fremont46 people$271,288
- City of Santa Rosa45 people$253,682
- San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department42 people$285,856
- City of Oceanside38 people$190,054
- Cosumnes Community Services District37 people$245,962
- City of Hayward37 people$302,846
- City of Roseville34 people$242,519
- City of Pleasanton33 people$288,754
- City of Redding33 people$217,489
- City of Rancho Cucamonga32 people$258,474
- Kings County31 people$158,873
- City of Orange31 people$231,820
- City of Burbank31 people$279,398
- City of Huntington Beach30 people$260,651
- City of Salinas29 people$183,782
- City of Corona29 people$262,002
- City of Torrance29 people$314,938
- City of Escondido28 people$211,089
- South San Joaquin County Fire Authority28 people$263,685
- Richmond27 people$271,821
- Central County Fire Department27 people$258,817
- Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County25 people$255,973
- City of San Buenaventura25 people$219,992
- Tulare County24 people$151,153
- City of Alameda23 people$266,728
- City of Fairfield23 people$308,987
- Imperial County22 people$119,484
- City of Visalia22 people$193,170
- City of Palm Springs22 people$252,155
- City of Fullerton21 people$219,814
- City of Costa Mesa21 people$264,171
- City of Monterey21 people$220,934
- City of Carlsbad21 people$224,966
- City of Santa Maria20 people$230,871
- City of Vista20 people$210,355
- City of Encinitas19 people$209,314
- City of West Sacramento19 people$254,608
- City of Chico19 people$175,600
- City of San Rafael19 people$253,829
- City of Clovis18 people$220,999
- City of Daly City18 people$247,203
- City of Vacaville18 people$272,914
- City of Yuba City18 people$184,433
- City of Merced17 people$182,601
- City of Victorville17 people$201,893
- City of Milpitas17 people$269,239
- Lathrop-Manteca Fire Protection District16 people$178,048
- City of San Marcos16 people$209,286
- City of Santa Cruz16 people$258,034
- City of Lodi16 people$219,276
- City of Downey16 people$239,842
- City of Culver City15 people$345,638
- City of Redlands15 people$269,731
- City of Turlock15 people$165,798
- City of Alhambra15 people$231,014
- City of Hemet15 people$232,038
- City of West Covina15 people$261,453
- City of Arcadia14 people$249,871
- City of Santa Fe Springs14 people$264,605
- City of Davis14 people$206,874
- City of Laguna Beach14 people$271,640
- City of San Luis Obispo13 people$232,901
- City of Manteca13 people$237,107
- City of Brea13 people$275,723
- City of Hollister13 people$253,061
- City of Monterey Park12 people$256,535
- City of Watsonville12 people$214,350
- City of Colton12 people$283,371
- City of Pasadena12 people$246,266
- City of National City12 people$220,982
- City of Compton12 people$247,976
- City of Tulare12 people$173,912
- City of Rocklin11 people$187,465
- City of Hanford11 people$207,242
- City of Petaluma11 people$202,982
- City of Monrovia10 people$233,952
- City of Grass Valley10 people$156,696
- Five Cities Fire Authority10 people$204,554
- Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District10 people$139,022
- City of Glendale10 people$244,043
- City of San Bruno10 people$290,358
- City of Gilroy9 people$214,783
- Sutter County9 people$108,064
- City of Fountain Valley9 people$229,454
- City of El Segundo9 people$277,126
- Big Bear Fire Authority9 people$238,650
- City of El Centro9 people$156,565
- City of Montebello9 people$217,946
- University of California, Davis8 people$205,991
- Amador County7 people$110,826
- City of South San Francisco7 people$294,325
- City of Dixon7 people$237,330
- French Camp-McKinley Fire Protection District7 people$133,421
- Moraga/Orinda Fire Protection District7 people$266,618
- City of Seaside7 people$218,893
- City of Benicia7 people$238,708
- City of Selma7 people$216,793
- City of Barstow6 people$176,829
- City of Placentia6 people$160,067
- City of Suisun City6 people$183,837
- City of Porterville6 people$130,687
- City of Coronado6 people$224,656
- Montecito Fire Protection District6 people$313,274
- City of San Gabriel6 people$262,855
- City of Pacifica6 people$238,631
- City of Marina6 people$213,882
- City of Brawley6 people$123,421
- City of Lemon Grove6 people$216,257
- Kern County6 people$170,975
- City of Montclair6 people$164,804
- City of Los Banos6 people$143,665
- City of Loma Linda6 people$237,996
- Lake County Fire Protection District5 people$109,490
- City of Auburn5 people$175,124
- East Bay Regional Park District5 people$223,835
- City of Calexico5 people$149,647
- City of Avalon4 people$186,212
- City of Fillmore4 people$164,544
- Olivehurst Public Utility District4 people$128,475
- City of Canyon Lake4 people$96,702
- City of San Marino4 people$185,442
- Central Marin Fire Authority4 people$264,527
- City of Dinuba4 people$156,253
- Lakeport Fire Protection District4 people$139,293
- City of Solana Beach4 people$170,544
- City of Rio Vista4 people$183,509
- City of Lincoln4 people$212,818
- Williams Fire Protection Authority4 people$76,201
- City of Oxnard3 people$239,915
- City of Susanville3 people$126,423
- City of Del Mar3 people$171,630
- City of Piedmont3 people$298,529
- City of California City3 people$235,327
- City of Sanger3 people$112,180
- City of Guadalupe3 people$176,051
- City of Greenfield3 people$220,697
- City of Healdsburg3 people$203,633
- City of South Pasadena3 people$285,615
- City of Brisbane3 people$202,834
- Twain Harte Community Services District3 people$114,858
- Templeton Community Services District3 people$154,124
- South Coast Fire Protection District3 people$11,002
- Schell-Vista Fire Protection District3 people$202,009
- City of Red Bluff3 people$105,636
- City of Redondo Beach3 people$275,633
- City of Patterson3 people$120,819
- City of Albany3 people$423,393
- Willow Oak Fire Protection District3 people$79,450
- City of Calistoga3 people$220,622
- City of Vallejo2 people$256,440
- City of Gonzales2 people$57,808
- City of El Cerrito2 people$220,741
- City of Sebastopol2 people$1,329
- City of Willows2 people$86,911
- Idyllwild Fire Protection District2 people$139,715
- Brooktrails Township Community Services District2 people$51,989
- City of Jackson2 people$105,222
- City of Chowchilla2 people$76,403
- City of La Mesa2 people$227,419
- Timber Cove Fire Protection District2 people$5,212
- City of Sonora2 people$113,066
- City of Mt. Shasta2 people$45,196
- City of Coalinga2 people$170,751
- City of Marysville1 person$153,559
- Peardale-Chicago Park Fire Protection District1 person$68,637
- Cottonwood Fire Protection District1 person$81,205
- California Pines Community Services District1 person$76,677
- City of Yreka1 person$27,248
- City of Colusa1 person$109,257
- Lake Shastina Community Services District1 person$51,505
- Woodlake Fire Protection District1 person$65,925
- City of Angels1 person$108,277
- McCloud Community Services District1 person$126,169
- City of Farmersville1 person$117,551
- Northshore Fire Protection District1 person$194,660
- Cambria Community Services District1 person$95,798
- City of Mill Valley1 person$4,096
- City of Bishop1 person$90,314
- City of Winters1 person$196,258
No employers match.
Pay by level
Levels with 5 or more people.
- Fire-Captain10 people$139,022
- Fire Captain I (56 Hours)17 people$182,601
- Fire Captain - 5623 people$215,035
- Fire Captain3,354 people$237,261
- Fire Captain IV 405 people$238,034
- Fire Captain III25 people$263,668
- Fire Captain (40 Hours)33 people$263,787
- Fire Captain IV23 people$274,469
- Fire Captain (56 Hours)1,005 people$287,222
- Fire Captain I404 people$294,088
- Fire Captain II180 people$326,862
Highest-paid fire captains, 2026
- 1Carlos HernandezFire Captain (56 Hours) · Los Angeles County$1,701,250
- 2John M RamirezFire Captain (56 Hours) · Los Angeles County$968,799
- 3Daniel E GarciaFire Captain (56 Hours) · Los Angeles County$859,158
- 4Oscar PerezFire Captain (56 Hours) · Los Angeles County$857,420
- 5Rigoberto MartinezFire Captain (56 Hours) · Los Angeles County$828,846
Common questions
How much does a fire captain make in California?
Full-year fire captains were typically paid $272,852 in 2026; most earned between $245,784 and $291,732. Counting all 5,088 people paid, typical pay was $252,619.
How much of the pay is overtime?
Overtime made up 32.8% of all pay for fire captains in 2026.
Which job titles are included?
Everyone whose payroll title is Fire Captain, at any level (for example "Fire-Captain"). Part-time-schedule titles (such as "20 hours") are left out. Senior, supervising and trainee titles have their own pages.
Job titles are written out in full from the payroll's abbreviations (for example "SR CRRECTNL POLC OFCR" → "Senior Correctional Police Officer"). "Typical pay" is the median; "most earned" is the middle half. How we calculate this