California / Forestry and Fire Protection / Fire Captain

Job-title file

Fire Captain

Respond to fires and emergencies, perform rescue and medical aid, and carry out prevention and inspection.

2,782 employees hold this title in Forestry and Fire Protection. Median total compensation for the role is $174,959, above the department median of $111,787.

Employees: 2,782
Total payroll: $466M
Role median: $174,959
Agency median: $111,787
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

-$5,038$284,334+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 2,782 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Fire Captain pay vs. California

Across all employers in California, the median wage for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers — about 8,170 people — is $127,630. Forestry and Fire Protection pays a median base salary of $91,863 for this role, 28% below that figure — about the 18th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Forestry and Fire Protection sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$80,910

$100,450

$127,630

$169,380

$204,160

Forestry and Fire Protection median · $91,863

The bar is the range of annual wages for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers across every employer in California, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Forestry and Fire Protection’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers — about 99,140 people — is $93,530. Forestry and Fire Protection’s median base salary is 2% below that national figure, about the 48th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$53,430

$72,140

$93,530

$119,500

$140,010

Forestry and Fire Protection median · $91,863

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the California range relative to the national one.

Computed over the 2,558 of 2,876 people in this role paid at least $25,000in base salary. The rest are part-year or part-time records, whose actual pay isn’t comparable to a full-time annual wage.

Median total compensation for this role at Forestry and Fire Protection is $175,601, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare jurisdictions

Fire Captain beyond California

This role is reported in 19 jurisdictions. In California, the median of $175,601 ranks #6 of 19. See Fire Captain across all of California →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

$402,076 · 748

$352,297 · 181

$329,749 · 575

$246,977 · 330

$235,922 · 46

$163,213 · 257

$149,775 · 31

$144,755 · 50

Median total compensation for comparable Fire Captainroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 10

Jesse Cole

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$155,105

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $88,184
Overtime: $32,218
Other pay: $34,702
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $155,105
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Santa Clara
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,559
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421161095517
Salary Total: $7,520
Total Pay: $155,105

Jesse Cole works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jesse earned $155,105 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

John Iacoviello

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$155,079

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $86,068
Overtime: $35,639
Other pay: $33,371
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $155,079
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Napa
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,559
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421141095506
Salary Total: $7,520
Total Pay: $155,079

John Iacoviello is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $155,079. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Jeffrey Crile

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,890

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $59,836
Overtime: $56,138
Other pay: $38,916
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,890
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095664
Salary Total: $8,332
Total Pay: $154,890

Jeffrey Crile is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,890. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Angel Reyes

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,888

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $80,175
Overtime: $43,031
Other pay: $31,682
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,888
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Tulare
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,871
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424161095003
Salary Total: $6,849
Total Pay: $154,888

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Angel Reyes serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $154,888. Union affiliation: R08.

Adam Amirfar

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,880

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $86,918
Overtime: $33,727
Other pay: $34,234
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,880
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Madera
Middle name: N

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,635
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424141095547
Salary Total: $7,594
Total Pay: $154,880

Adam Amirfar works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Adam earned $154,880 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Ryan Eagleson

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,861

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $74,151
Overtime: $51,130
Other pay: $29,581
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,861
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Tulare
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,230
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424161095001
Salary Total: $6,224
Total Pay: $154,861

Ryan Eagleson holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,861. Union affiliation: R08.

Brandon Mcgee

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,840

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,077
Overtime: $28,051
Other pay: $35,712
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,840
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sonoma
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421141095501
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,840

Brandon Mcgee holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,840. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Leithan Dryden

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,832

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,863
Overtime: $26,884
Other pay: $36,085
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,832
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Merced
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420291095075
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,832

Leithan Dryden holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,832. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Jason Leonard

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,830

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $92,056
Overtime: $26,004
Other pay: $36,770
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,830
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Placer
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422161095543
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,830

Jason Leonard holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,830. They are represented by R08.

Tim Brady

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,781

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $98,195
Overtime: $15,322
Other pay: $41,264
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,781
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Shasta
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422131095001
Salary Total: $8,190
Total Pay: $154,781

Tim Brady is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,781. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Wayde Vierra

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,719

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $80,111
Overtime: $42,846
Other pay: $31,762
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,719
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Luis Obispo

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,101
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423161095008
Salary Total: $7,073
Total Pay: $154,719

Wayde Vierra is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,719. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Ben Smutney

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,707

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $84,597
Overtime: $39,001
Other pay: $31,109
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,707
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sonoma
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,199
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421141095543
Salary Total: $7,169
Total Pay: $154,707

Ben Smutney works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Ben earned $154,707 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Robert Sacher

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,695

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,863
Overtime: $26,752
Other pay: $36,080
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,695
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Madera
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424141095636
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,695

Robert Sacher is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,695. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Troy Hand

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,679

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $96,899
Overtime: $18,918
Other pay: $38,862
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,679
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Butte
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422111095616
Salary Total: $8,036
Total Pay: $154,679

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Troy Hand serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $154,679. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Paul Hansen

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$154,645

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $79,832
Overtime: $27,013
Other pay: $47,799
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,645
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Lassen
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422121095513
Salary Total: $7,656
Total Pay: $154,645

Paul Hansen holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2024, their total compensation was $154,645. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Christopher Crooks

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,643

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $83,669
Overtime: $37,939
Other pay: $33,035
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,643
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Merced
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,199
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424141095623
Salary Total: $7,169
Total Pay: $154,643

Christopher Crooks holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,643. Union affiliation: R08.

Travis Buick

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,588

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $97,414
Overtime: $21,991
Other pay: $35,183
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,588
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Tehama
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422151095501
Salary Total: $7,468
Total Pay: $154,588

Travis Buick holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,588. They are represented by R08.

Owen Head

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$154,585

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $84,065
Overtime: $20,406
Other pay: $50,113
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,585
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421111095524
Salary Total: $8,106
Total Pay: $154,585

Owen Head is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2024 total compensation came to $154,585. Union affiliation: R08.

Jason Vesterfelt

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,534

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $93,287
Overtime: $25,053
Other pay: $36,194
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,534
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Luis Obispo
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423161095546
Salary Total: $7,959
Total Pay: $154,534

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Jason Vesterfelt serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $154,534. Union affiliation: R08.

Michael Seaton

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,458

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,863
Overtime: $26,510
Other pay: $36,085
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,458
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Amador
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420291095041
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,458

Michael Seaton holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,458. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Tyler Duncan

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,427

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,077
Overtime: $27,563
Other pay: $35,787
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,427
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Tuolumne
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424181095503
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,427

Tyler Duncan holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,427. Union affiliation: R08.

Mark Gernandt

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,425

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,863
Overtime: $26,482
Other pay: $36,080
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,425
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Tuolumne
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424181095534
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,425

Mark Gernandt is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,425. They are represented by R08.

Carrie Pell

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,409

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $94,126
Overtime: $23,388
Other pay: $36,895
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,409
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Butte
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422111095541
Salary Total: $7,882
Total Pay: $154,409

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Carrie Pell serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $154,409. They are represented by R08.

Benny Aguilar Iii

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,370

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $110,501
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $43,869
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,370
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Bernardino
Middle name: Y

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423311095003
Salary Total: $9,396
Total Pay: $154,370

Benny Aguilar Iii is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,370. They are represented by R08.

Shawn Entz

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$154,288

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $78,537
Overtime: $25,224
Other pay: $50,528
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,288
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Placer
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422161095505
Salary Total: $6,566
Total Pay: $154,288

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Shawn Entz serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2023 pay totaled $154,288. Union affiliation: R08.

Calin Moldovan

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$154,223

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $78,535
Overtime: $26,311
Other pay: $49,377
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,223
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Amador
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420291095510
Salary Total: $6,566
Total Pay: $154,223

Calin Moldovan is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2023 total compensation came to $154,223. They are represented by R08.

Tyler Stalter

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,194

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $87,747
Overtime: $22,241
Other pay: $44,206
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,194
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141095505
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,194

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Tyler Stalter serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $154,194. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Patrick Everett

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,172

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,863
Overtime: $26,223
Other pay: $36,085
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,172
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Napa
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421141095907
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,172

Patrick Everett holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,172. Their bargaining unit is R08.

William Gellor

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,165

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,863
Overtime: $23,556
Other pay: $38,746
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,165
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Lassen
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422121095535
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $154,165

William Gellor holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,165. Union affiliation: R08.