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

Jacob Hughes

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$96,055

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $62,046
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $34,009
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $96,055
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Lassen
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422311095126
Salary Total: $8,633
Total Pay: $96,055

Jacob Hughes holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $96,055. They are represented by R08.

Shannon Staggs

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$95,904

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $52,411
Overtime: $217
Other pay: $43,275
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $95,904
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: 5424111095515
Salary Total: $8,190
Total Pay: $95,904

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Shannon Staggs serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $95,904. They are represented by R08.

Jason Barrett

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$95,863

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $71,049
Overtime: $195
Other pay: $24,619
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $95,863
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Placer
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,231
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422161095004
Salary Total: $6,225
Total Pay: $95,863

Jason Barrett is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $95,863. Union affiliation: R08.

Raul Corona

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$95,631

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $60,463
Overtime: $11,301
Other pay: $23,867
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $95,631
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Bernardino

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423131095524
Salary Total: $5,936
Total Pay: $95,631

Raul Corona works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Raul earned $95,631 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Alexander Sperlich

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$95,369

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $95,369
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $95,369
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,075
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423381095138
Salary Total: $7,650
Total Pay: $95,369

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Alexander Sperlich serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $95,369. They are represented by R08.

Elliot Maiorana

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$95,119

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $4,171
Other pay: $90,948
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $95,119
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Monterey
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424191095520
Salary Total: $8,383
Total Pay: $95,119

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Elliot Maiorana serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $95,119. Union affiliation: R08.

Lydia Soileau

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$95,071

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $998
Overtime: $65
Other pay: $94,008
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $95,071
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Butte

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422111095901
Salary Total: $7,143
Total Pay: $95,071

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Lydia Soileau serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2023 pay totaled $95,071. Union affiliation: R08.

Grant Lindemann

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$94,548

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $52,217
Overtime: $1,174
Other pay: $41,156
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $94,548
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,075
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421341095005
Salary Total: $7,225
Total Pay: $94,548

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Grant Lindemann serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2024 pay totaled $94,548. Union affiliation: R08.

Jeffrey Smith

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$94,237

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $59,113
Overtime: $13,023
Other pay: $22,101
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $94,237
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,231
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095523
Salary Total: $6,225
Total Pay: $94,237

Jeffrey Smith works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jeffrey earned $94,237 in 2025. Union affiliation: R08.

Michael Makemson

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$93,932

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $93,932
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,932
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Monterey
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424191095544
Salary Total: $6,566
Total Pay: $90,610

Michael Makemson works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Michael earned $93,932 in 2023. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Roy Billings

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$93,863

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $38,764
Overtime: $38,834
Other pay: $16,266
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,863
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Lassen
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,576
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422121095504
Salary Total: $7,022
Total Pay: $93,863

Roy Billings holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $93,863. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Phillip Smith

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$93,576

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $17,990
Overtime: $9,960
Other pay: $65,627
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,576
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Tehama
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,276
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422351095003
Salary Total: $8,757
Total Pay: $93,576

Phillip Smith works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Phillip earned $93,576 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Anthony Carniglia

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$93,242

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $162
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $93,080
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,242
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095525
Salary Total: $8,332
Total Pay: $93,242

Anthony Carniglia is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $93,242. They are represented by R08.

Robert Robertson

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$93,187

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $26,271
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $66,916
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $93,187
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Lassen
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,276
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422311095127
Salary Total: $8,757
Total Pay: $93,187

Robert Robertson is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $93,187. Union affiliation: R08.

Shane Bender

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$91,842

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $55,782
Overtime: $13,825
Other pay: $22,236
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $91,842
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Butte
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,231
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422111095514
Salary Total: $6,075
Total Pay: $91,842

Shane Bender is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $91,842. Union affiliation: R08.

David Weir

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$91,204

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $59,100
Overtime: $10,367
Other pay: $21,737
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $91,204
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Santa Cruz
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421171095534
Salary Total: $5,936
Total Pay: $91,204

David Weir is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $91,204. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Jon Perea

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$90,737

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $90,737
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $90,737
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095015
Salary Total: $7,015
Total Pay: $90,737

Jon Perea is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2024 total compensation came to $90,737. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Donald Jones

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$88,545

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $65,598
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $22,947
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,545
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Mendocino
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421131095001
Salary Total: $7,652
Total Pay: $88,545

Donald Jones holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $88,545. Union affiliation: R08.

Gregory Adams

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$88,429

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $38,817
Overtime: $18,591
Other pay: $31,021
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,429
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121095765
Salary Total: $6,887
Total Pay: $88,429

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Gregory Adams serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2024 pay totaled $88,429. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Lori Logan

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$88,041

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $54,442
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $33,599
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,041
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,870
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421111095538
Salary Total: $6,848
Total Pay: $88,041

Lori Logan works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Lori earned $88,041 in 2025. Union affiliation: R08.

Brandie Walker

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$87,992

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $15,148
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $72,844
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $87,992
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141095907
Salary Total: $8,332
Total Pay: $87,992

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Brandie Walker serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $87,992. They are represented by R08.

Jason Fairfax

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$87,145

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $20,093
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $67,052
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $87,145
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423391095179
Salary Total: $9,609
Total Pay: $87,145

Jason Fairfax works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jason earned $87,145 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Juan De Leon

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$86,795

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $48,562
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $38,233
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $86,795
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: 5423121095218
Salary Total: $6,758
Total Pay: $86,795

Juan De Leon holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2023, their total compensation was $86,795. They are represented by R08.

Thomas Caldie

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$86,675

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $47,625
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $39,050
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $86,675
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Amador
Middle name: H

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5420291095517
Salary Total: $7,882
Total Pay: $86,675

Thomas Caldie works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Thomas earned $86,675 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Tiffany Mercado

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$86,505

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $44,119
Overtime: $1,242
Other pay: $41,144
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $86,505
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Sonoma
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,416
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421141095501
Salary Total: $7,015
Total Pay: $86,505

Tiffany Mercado works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Tiffany earned $86,505 in 2023. Union affiliation: R08.

Adam Smith

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$85,021

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $42,036
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $42,985
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $85,021
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Siskiyou
Middle name: H

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,694
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422141095901
Salary Total: $7,882
Total Pay: $85,021

Adam Smith holds the role of Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $85,021. Union affiliation: R08.

John Huecker

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$84,155

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $53,793
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $30,362
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $84,155
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,075
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423461095001
Salary Total: $7,720
Total Pay: $84,155

At Forestry and Fire Protection, John Huecker serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2023 pay totaled $84,155. They are represented by R08.

Jacob Bridges

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$83,019

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $32,162
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $50,857
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $83,019
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Solano
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,483
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5421381095007
Salary Total: $8,421
Total Pay: $83,019

Jacob Bridges is a Fire Captain at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $83,019. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Shawnmichael Trocke

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$82,944

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $52,030
Overtime: $14,006
Other pay: $16,908
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $82,944
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Fresno
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,934
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424111095544
Salary Total: $5,936
Total Pay: $82,944

Shawnmichael Trocke works as a Fire Captain for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Shawnmichael earned $82,944 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Flint Thomas

Fire Captain/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$82,204

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $0
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $82,204
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $82,204
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Shasta
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,506
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422131095545
Salary Total: $8,332
Total Pay: $82,204

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Flint Thomas serves as a Fire Captain within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $82,204. Union affiliation: R08.