How much does a firefighter make in San Jose?
$152,100a year
Median yearly pay for firefighters in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area. That is $73.13 an hour or $12,680 a month.
- Hourly
- $73.13
- Vs. national median
- +157%
- Rank among cities
- 1 of 347
- Jobs in the area
- 1,330
Pay range
Lowest 10%: $59,680Median: $152,100Highest 10%: $181,300
| Percentile | Yearly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $59,680 | $28.69 | |
| 25th | $93,800 | $45.10 | |
| Median | $152,100 | $73.13 | |
| 75th | $166,800 | $80.18 | |
| 90th | $181,300 | $87.15 |
Other cities in California
Median yearly pay for firefighters.
| San Francisco, CA | $113,700 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $98,050 |
| Vallejo, CA | $95,950 |
| Sacramento, CA | $94,080 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $87,400 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $82,250 |
| Salinas, CA | $81,070 |
| Yuba City, CA | $80,360 |
| Napa, CA | $80,260 |
| Stockton, CA | $79,540 |
| Fresno, CA | $79,160 |
| Riverside, CA | $79,160 |
| Oxnard, CA | $77,400 |
| Modesto, CA | $77,370 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $75,910 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $72,410 |
| Chico, CA | $71,830 |
| San Diego, CA | $70,900 |
| Redding, CA | $65,170 |
| Visalia, CA | $65,170 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $64,980 |
| Merced, CA | $63,940 |
| Hanford, CA | $55,220 |
| El Centro, CA | $46,080 |
Related jobs in San Jose
Same field, median yearly pay.
Salaries for every job in San Jose, CAFrequently asked questions
How much does a firefighter make an hour in San Jose?
The median hourly pay in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area is $73.13 ($152,100 a year).
Do firefighters make more in San Jose than the national average?
Yes: $152,100 against $59,280 nationally, 157% more.
How does San Jose compare with the rest of California?
The median in California is $85,120, so San Jose pays 79% more.
Where does San Jose rank for firefighter pay?
1 of 347 metro areas with data.
How much does a firefighter make starting out in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% make $59,680 or less a year; the top 10% make $181,300 or more.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.