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 1

Mark Steele

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$37,839

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $33,617
Overtime: $4,222
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $37,839
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Shasta
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421011095904
Salary Total: $44
Total Pay: $37,839

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Mark Steele serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work intermittent. Their 2025 pay totaled $37,839. They are represented by R08.

Gregory Birchfield

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$37,829

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $1,143
Overtime: $302
Other pay: $36,384
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $37,829
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Tulare
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,290
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424161095523
Salary Total: $6,880
Total Pay: $37,829

Gregory Birchfield works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Gregory earned $37,829 in 2023. Their bargaining unit is R08.

William Herring

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$37,789

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $14,179
Overtime: $23,610
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $37,789
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: N

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420641095904
Salary Total: $43
Total Pay: $37,789

At Forestry and Fire Protection, William Herring serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work intermittent. Their 2024 pay totaled $37,789. Their bargaining unit is R08.

James Sasules

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$36,926

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $15,893
Overtime: $21,033
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $36,926
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,323
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420641095904
Salary Total: $42
Total Pay: $36,926

James Sasules is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work intermittent. 2024 total compensation came to $36,926. They are represented by R08.

Michael Esparza

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$36,864

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $15,307
Overtime: $5,629
Other pay: $15,927
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $36,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095907
Salary Total: $7,165
Total Pay: $36,864

Michael Esparza works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Michael earned $36,864 in 2024. They are represented by R08.

Ian Meckelborg

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$36,484

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $1,696
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $34,788
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $36,484
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,276
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423381095124
Salary Total: $9,005
Total Pay: $36,484

Ian Meckelborg holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $36,484. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Harold Reed

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$35,152

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $23,939
Overtime: $737
Other pay: $10,476
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $35,152
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421111095536
Salary Total: $5,786
Total Pay: $35,152

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Harold Reed serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $35,152. Union affiliation: R08.

Ted Schaffer

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$35,074

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $27,024
Overtime: $8,050
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $35,074
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420681095904
Salary Total: $44
Total Pay: $35,074

Ted Schaffer holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is intermittent. In 2025, their total compensation was $35,074. Union affiliation: R08.

Steven Gallegos

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$34,350

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $12,742
Overtime: $21,608
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $34,350
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: V

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,074
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420641095904
Salary Total: $47
Total Pay: $34,350

Steven Gallegos is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work intermittent. 2024 total compensation came to $34,350. Union affiliation: R08.

Matthew Mcdonough

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$32,469

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $11,035
Overtime: $5,888
Other pay: $15,546
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $32,469
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,078
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095617
Salary Total: $6,228
Total Pay: $32,469

Matthew Mcdonough holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $32,469. They are represented by R08.

Jason Guzman

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$31,832

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $16,461
Overtime: $9,615
Other pay: $5,756
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $31,832
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095533
Salary Total: $5,936
Total Pay: $31,832

Jason Guzman is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $31,832. Union affiliation: R08.

Robert Castillo

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$31,405

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: -$357
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $31,762
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $31,405
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Fresno

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424321095904
Salary Total: $49
Total Pay: $31,405

Robert Castillo works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is intermittent. Robert earned $31,405 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Anthony Khatami

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$31,224

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $31,224
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $31,224
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095727
Salary Total: $7,143
Total Pay: $31,224

Anthony Khatami works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Anthony earned $31,224 in 2024. Union affiliation: R08.

John Aguilera

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$30,526

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $22,592
Overtime: $7,934
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $30,526
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420611095904
Salary Total: $44
Total Pay: $30,526

At Forestry and Fire Protection, John Aguilera serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work intermittent. Their 2025 pay totaled $30,526. Union affiliation: R08.

Brennain Gorter

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$30,393

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $17,810
Overtime: $4,363
Other pay: $8,219
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $30,393
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Bernardino

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423131095561
Salary Total: $5,936
Total Pay: $30,393

Brennain Gorter holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $30,393. Union affiliation: R08.

Anthony Anastasi

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$29,532

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $803
Overtime: $654
Other pay: $28,075
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $29,532
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Santa Clara

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,290
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421161095607
Salary Total: $6,880
Total Pay: $29,532

Anthony Anastasi works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Anthony earned $29,532 in 2023. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Andrew Corpuz

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$29,498

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $23,717
Overtime: $5,781
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $29,498
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420611095904
Salary Total: $44
Total Pay: $29,498

Andrew Corpuz works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is intermittent. Andrew earned $29,498 in 2025. Union affiliation: R08.

Michael Dacanay

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$29,374

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $29,374
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $29,374
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,075
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423381095127
Salary Total: $7,862
Total Pay: $29,374

Michael Dacanay holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2024, their total compensation was $29,374. Union affiliation: R08.

Shad Murphy

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$29,065

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $19,504
Overtime: $510
Other pay: $9,050
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $29,065
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Bernardino
Middle name: Y

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,513
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423311095002
Salary Total: $6,500
Total Pay: $29,065

Shad Murphy is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $29,065. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Dennis Murphy

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$28,204

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $28,204
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $28,204
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,075
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423461095002
Salary Total: $7,720
Total Pay: $28,204

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Dennis Murphy serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $28,204. Union affiliation: R08.

Tomas Macias

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$26,102

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $26,102
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $26,102
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Santa Clara
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421161095509
Salary Total: $8,181
Total Pay: $26,102

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Tomas Macias serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $26,102. They are represented by R08.

Miguel Manzano

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$25,917

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $25,917
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $25,917
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,079
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141095628
Salary Total: $6,776
Total Pay: $25,917

Miguel Manzano works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Miguel earned $25,917 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Keith Swope

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$25,820

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $372
Overtime: $27
Other pay: $25,421
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $25,820
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Mariposa
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424141095517
Salary Total: $8,181
Total Pay: $25,820

Keith Swope works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Keith earned $25,820 in 2025. Union affiliation: R08.

Loreen Borelli

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$25,799

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $25,799
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $25,799
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Santa Cruz
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421171095904
Salary Total: $44
Total Pay: $25,799

Loreen Borelli is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work intermittent. 2025 total compensation came to $25,799. They are represented by R08.

Jason King

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$25,635

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $16,461
Overtime: $3,524
Other pay: $5,650
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $25,635
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095565
Salary Total: $5,936
Total Pay: $25,635

Jason King works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jason earned $25,635 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Joseph Basinski

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$25,591

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $16,461
Overtime: $3,485
Other pay: $5,646
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $25,591
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: V

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095568
Salary Total: $5,936
Total Pay: $25,591

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Joseph Basinski serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $25,591. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Matthew Walls

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$24,931

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $15,111
Overtime: $4,806
Other pay: $5,015
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $24,931
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Butte

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422111095510
Salary Total: $5,936
Total Pay: $24,931

Matthew Walls holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $24,931. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Robert Engel

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$24,623

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $24,623
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $24,623
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Santa Cruz
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420291095012
Salary Total: $7,143
Total Pay: $24,623

Robert Engel holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2024, their total compensation was $24,623. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Gregory Bull

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$24,537

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $24,537
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $24,537
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Lassen
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,075
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422311095129
Salary Total: $7,862
Total Pay: $24,537

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Gregory Bull serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2024 pay totaled $24,537. They are represented by R08.

Jeffery Nijinski

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$24,426

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $24,426
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $24,426
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,988
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423361095084
Salary Total: $6,482
Total Pay: $24,426

Jeffery Nijinski works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jeffery earned $24,426 in 2024. They are represented by R08.

Jorge Adame Guzman

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$24,272

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $24,272
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $24,272
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Fresno
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424321095009
Salary Total: $9,057
Total Pay: $24,272

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Jorge Adame Guzman serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $24,272. Union affiliation: R08.