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 5

Fredrick Jessee

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,858

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,077
Overtime: $86,998
Other pay: $35,783
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,858
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Fresno
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424111095617
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $213,858

Fredrick Jessee works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Fredrick earned $213,858 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Jeremy Snyder

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,816

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $73,633
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $140,183
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,816
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141095626
Salary Total: $8,181
Total Pay: $213,816

Jeremy Snyder works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jeremy earned $213,816 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Del Beaudry

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,768

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $110,276
Overtime: $56,763
Other pay: $46,730
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,768
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Shasta
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422721095001
Salary Total: $9,077
Total Pay: $213,768

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Del Beaudry serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $213,768. They are represented by R08.

Todd Phillips

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,755

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $97,290
Overtime: $78,378
Other pay: $38,086
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,755
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095528
Salary Total: $8,113
Total Pay: $213,755

Todd Phillips works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Todd earned $213,755 in 2025. Union affiliation: R08.

Bryan Brewer

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,748

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $105,840
Overtime: $63,593
Other pay: $44,315
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,748
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Shasta
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422391095003
Salary Total: $8,845
Total Pay: $213,748

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Bryan Brewer serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $213,748. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Robert Beeson

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,542

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $98,195
Overtime: $76,933
Other pay: $38,414
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,542
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420291095034
Salary Total: $8,190
Total Pay: $213,542

Robert Beeson holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $213,542. Union affiliation: R08.

Daniel Richard

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,351

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $100,004
Overtime: $74,274
Other pay: $39,073
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,351
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Luis Obispo
Middle name: F

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423161095003
Salary Total: $8,344
Total Pay: $213,351

Daniel Richard is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $213,351. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Jeff Michel

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,275

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $99,253
Overtime: $73,641
Other pay: $40,381
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,275
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Amador
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424171095521
Salary Total: $8,194
Total Pay: $213,275

Jeff Michel works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jeff earned $213,275 in 2025. Union affiliation: R08.

Anthony Makakoa

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,199

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $101,102
Overtime: $77,894
Other pay: $34,203
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,199
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421411095004
Salary Total: $8,421
Total Pay: $213,199

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Anthony Makakoa serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $213,199. Union affiliation: R08.

Eduardo Ortiz

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,180

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $93,000
Overtime: $83,712
Other pay: $36,467
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,180
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420291095503
Salary Total: $7,882
Total Pay: $213,180

Eduardo Ortiz holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $213,180. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Robert Thomas Iii

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$213,101

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $93,663
Overtime: $81,736
Other pay: $37,702
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $213,101
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095663
Salary Total: $7,802
Total Pay: $213,101

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Robert Thomas Iii serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $213,101. They are represented by R08.

Carlos Nino

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,966

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $96,840
Overtime: $78,203
Other pay: $37,923
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,966
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095678
Salary Total: $8,113
Total Pay: $212,966

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Carlos Nino serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $212,966. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Steven Taylor

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,810

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $101,102
Overtime: $72,203
Other pay: $39,504
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,810
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Luis Obispo
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423451095007
Salary Total: $8,421
Total Pay: $212,810

Steven Taylor holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $212,810. Union affiliation: R08.

Matthew Lopez

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,628

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $90,946
Overtime: $86,015
Other pay: $35,667
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,628
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Solano
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421141095003
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $212,628

Matthew Lopez is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $212,628. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Michael Bishop

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,557

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $110,072
Overtime: $59,681
Other pay: $42,804
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,557
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Placer
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422521095003
Salary Total: $9,184
Total Pay: $212,557

Michael Bishop is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $212,557. Union affiliation: R08.

Brian Albano

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,493

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $98,195
Overtime: $75,868
Other pay: $38,430
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,493
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095733
Salary Total: $8,190
Total Pay: $212,493

Brian Albano is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $212,493. They are represented by R08.

Cameron Goss

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,362

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $93,210
Overtime: $82,032
Other pay: $37,119
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,362
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sonoma
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,220
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421381095004
Salary Total: $8,165
Total Pay: $212,362

Cameron Goss holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $212,362. They are represented by R08.

Ryan Felix

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,330

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,863
Overtime: $84,381
Other pay: $36,085
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,330
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Merced
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424141095631
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $212,330

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Ryan Felix serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $212,330. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Trinidad Rodriguez

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,263

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $85,755
Overtime: $92,685
Other pay: $33,822
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,263
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,531
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420611095004
Salary Total: $7,493
Total Pay: $212,263

Trinidad Rodriguez holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $212,263. They are represented by R08.

Jason Gumbert

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,197

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $97,321
Overtime: $76,754
Other pay: $38,121
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,197
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095504
Salary Total: $8,036
Total Pay: $212,197

Jason Gumbert works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jason earned $212,197 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Mario Rivera

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$212,144

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $84,710
Overtime: $74,971
Other pay: $52,463
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,144
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Merced
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424141095612
Salary Total: $7,115
Total Pay: $212,144

Mario Rivera works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Mario earned $212,144 in 2023. Union affiliation: R08.

Thomas Hutchinson

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,086

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $108,083
Overtime: $61,938
Other pay: $42,065
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,086
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Calaveras
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424021095197
Salary Total: $9,015
Total Pay: $212,086

Thomas Hutchinson works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Thomas earned $212,086 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

George Nagy

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,078

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $98,195
Overtime: $75,469
Other pay: $38,414
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,078
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Luis Obispo
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423161095530
Salary Total: $8,190
Total Pay: $212,078

George Nagy holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $212,078. They are represented by R08.

Wesley Handy

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,058

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $91,863
Overtime: $84,104
Other pay: $36,090
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,058
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095519
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $212,058

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Wesley Handy serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $212,058. They are represented by R08.

Christopher Rylance

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$212,049

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $104,178
Overtime: $67,247
Other pay: $40,623
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,049
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Luis Obispo
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423401095046
Salary Total: $8,760
Total Pay: $212,049

Christopher Rylance is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $212,049. Union affiliation: R08.

Scott Rice

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$212,010

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $78,537
Overtime: $83,457
Other pay: $50,015
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $212,010
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Lassen
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422121095509
Salary Total: $6,566
Total Pay: $212,010

Scott Rice works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Scott earned $212,010 in 2023. Union affiliation: R08.