Firefighters pay range in Los Angeles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,710 a year or less, while the top 10% make $150,760 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Los Angeles earn between $77,720 and $127,660.
- $59K10th
- $78K25th
- $98KMedian
- $128K75th
- $151K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $108,860 | $9,072 | $52.34 |
| Median | $98,050 | $8,171 | $47.14 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $77,720 | $6,477 | $37.37 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $127,660 | $10,638 | $61.38 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Los Angeles
On the average salary of $108,860, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $79,381 a year, or $6,615 a month and $3,053 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Los Angeles a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Los Angeles area are 14% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 113.6), so the average $108,860 buys what about $95,856 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Los Angeles ($55,850). A typical home costs $968,608, or 8.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other California cities
Los Angeles ranks 4th of 25 California metro areas for this job; Bakersfield pays the most ($199,490).
- Bakersfield$199,490
- San Jose$134,270
- San Francisco$110,590
- Los Angeles$108,860
- Vallejo$99,530
- Sacramento$97,420
- Stockton$89,710
- Santa Maria$87,660
- Santa Rosa$86,410
- Modesto$85,430
Highest-paying cities for firefighters
Bakersfield, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($199,490).
- Bakersfield, CA$199,490
- San Jose, CA$134,270
- San Francisco, CA$110,590
- Los Angeles, CA$108,860
- Seattle, WA$100,450
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Firefighters salary in Los Angeles: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Los Angeles?
$52.34 an hour on average, and $47.14 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Los Angeles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,710 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,720, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Los Angeles?
About $79,381 a year ($6,615 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $108,860. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do firefighters earn more in Los Angeles than elsewhere?
The average here is 65% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($65,977).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-2011; area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (31080). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.52, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.52).
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