Firefighters pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $77,070 a year or less, while the top 10% make $139,590 or more. The middle half of firefighters in San Francisco earn between $96,420 and $125,390.
- $77K10th
- $96K25th
- $114KMedian
- $125K75th
- $140K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $110,590 | $9,216 | $53.17 |
| Median | $113,700 | $9,475 | $54.66 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $96,420 | $8,035 | $46.36 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $125,390 | $10,449 | $60.28 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $110,590, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $80,437 a year, or $6,703 a month and $3,094 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 San Francisco a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $110,590 buys what about $95,655 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 10.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 3rd 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 San Francisco: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in San Francisco?
$53.17 an hour on average, and $54.66 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $77,070 a year and the 25th percentile is $96,420, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $80,437 a year ($6,703 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $110,590. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do firefighters earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 68% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
- 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 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).
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