California / Forestry and Fire Protection / Fire Fighter II

Job-title file

Fire Fighter II

Carry out the duties of this position in support of the agency's public mission.

657 employees hold this title in Forestry and Fire Protection. Median total compensation for the role is $108,746, below the department median of $111,787.

Employees: 657
Total payroll: $65.6M
Role median: $108,746
Agency median: $111,787
Comparison: Below

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

-$2,130$177,480+

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

How total compensation varies among the 657 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 Fighter II pay vs. California

Across all employers in California, the median wage for Firefighters — about 31,470 people — is $85,120. Forestry and Fire Protection pays a median base salary of $43,582 for this role, 49% below that figure — below the 10th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Forestry and Fire Protection sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$52,390

$65,170

$85,120

$109,620

$136,150

Forestry and Fire Protection median · $43,582

The bar is the range of annual wages for Firefighters 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 Firefighters — about 345,990 people — is $59,280. Forestry and Fire Protection’s median base salary is 26% below that national figure, about the 24th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$34,910

$44,490

$59,280

$77,250

$101,040

Forestry and Fire Protection median · $43,582

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 5,005 of 7,256 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 $77,827, 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 Fighter beyond California

This role is reported in 8 jurisdictions. In California, the median of $77,895 ranks #5 of 8. See Fire Fighter across all of California →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

$245,350 · 1,400

$230,171 · 232

$165,008 · 803

$104,666 · 319

$72,378 · 578

$59,990 · 1,767

$58,691 · 265

Median total compensation for comparable Fire Fighterroles 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

Arnold Leyva Castro

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$159,514

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $62,136
Overtime: $72,285
Other pay: $25,092
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $159,514
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,351
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082686
Salary Total: $5,217
Total Pay: $159,514

Arnold Leyva Castro holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $159,514. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Austin Blakemore

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$159,361

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $73,301
Overtime: $56,837
Other pay: $29,224
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $159,361
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082787
Salary Total: $6,176
Total Pay: $159,361

Austin Blakemore works as a Fire Fighter II for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Austin earned $159,361 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Jesus Avila

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$158,423

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $66,162
Overtime: $65,700
Other pay: $26,562
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $158,423
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,901
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082907
Salary Total: $5,903
Total Pay: $158,423

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Jesus Avila serves as a Fire Fighter II within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $158,423. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Charles Culmer

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$158,295

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $79,239
Overtime: $47,635
Other pay: $31,421
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $158,295
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Placer
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422161082604
Salary Total: $6,609
Total Pay: $158,295

Charles Culmer holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $158,295. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Sean Tauscher

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$158,004

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $66,939
Overtime: $47,415
Other pay: $43,650
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $158,004
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,155
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082668
Salary Total: $5,614
Total Pay: $158,004

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Sean Tauscher serves as a Fire Fighter II within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2023 pay totaled $158,004. Union affiliation: R08.

Sean Maguire

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$157,864

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $71,577
Overtime: $55,609
Other pay: $30,678
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $157,864
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141082644
Salary Total: $6,026
Total Pay: $157,864

Sean Maguire holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $157,864. Union affiliation: R08.

Dylan Hall

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2024 total comp

$157,584

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $67,475
Overtime: $48,967
Other pay: $41,142
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $157,584
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,030
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141082503
Salary Total: $6,482
Total Pay: $157,584

Dylan Hall holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2024, their total compensation was $157,584. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Chad Burns

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$157,412

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $77,439
Overtime: $49,222
Other pay: $30,751
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $157,412
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082240
Salary Total: $6,459
Total Pay: $157,412

Chad Burns works as a Fire Fighter II for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Chad earned $157,412 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Mark Stillwell

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2023 total comp

$157,410

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $61,854
Overtime: $54,988
Other pay: $40,568
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $157,410
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,155
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082656
Salary Total: $5,455
Total Pay: $157,410

Mark Stillwell holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2023, their total compensation was $157,410. They are represented by R08.

Guillermo Nunez Quintero

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$157,234

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $70,703
Overtime: $58,286
Other pay: $28,246
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $157,234
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082791
Salary Total: $6,026
Total Pay: $157,234

Guillermo Nunez Quintero holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $157,234. They are represented by R08.

Christopher Kniveton

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$157,036

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $68,243
Overtime: $59,272
Other pay: $29,521
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $157,036
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Butte
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,900
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422111082907
Salary Total: $5,753
Total Pay: $157,036

Christopher Kniveton works as a Fire Fighter II for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Christopher earned $157,036 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Matthew Reinhold

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$156,300

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $79,487
Overtime: $45,322
Other pay: $31,492
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $156,300
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082725
Salary Total: $6,733
Total Pay: $156,300

Matthew Reinhold works as a Fire Fighter II for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Matthew earned $156,300 in 2025. Union affiliation: R08.

Stephen Vasquez

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$156,217

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $74,248
Overtime: $50,221
Other pay: $31,748
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $156,217
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141082640
Salary Total: $6,176
Total Pay: $156,217

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Stephen Vasquez serves as a Fire Fighter II within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $156,217. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Alexander Yount

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$155,423

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $75,905
Overtime: $49,419
Other pay: $30,098
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $155,423
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Butte

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422111082641
Salary Total: $6,326
Total Pay: $155,423

Alexander Yount works as a Fire Fighter II for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Alexander earned $155,423 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Jake Eaves

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$155,154

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $58,822
Overtime: $72,474
Other pay: $23,859
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $155,154
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,254
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082673
Salary Total: $5,123
Total Pay: $155,154

Jake Eaves holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $155,154. They are represented by R08.

William Velasquez

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,847

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $75,953
Overtime: $48,691
Other pay: $30,203
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,847
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: F

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082659
Salary Total: $6,326
Total Pay: $154,847

William Velasquez works as a Fire Fighter II for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. William earned $154,847 in 2025. They are represented by R08.

Jovani Villeda

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,622

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $72,353
Overtime: $53,393
Other pay: $28,876
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,622
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082660
Salary Total: $6,026
Total Pay: $154,622

Jovani Villeda is a Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,622. Union affiliation: R08.

Frank Zelidon

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,543

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $73,098
Overtime: $51,889
Other pay: $29,556
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,543
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082868
Salary Total: $6,126
Total Pay: $154,543

Frank Zelidon is a Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,543. Union affiliation: R08.

Santiago Cardenas

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,283

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $74,153
Overtime: $50,590
Other pay: $29,539
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,283
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Fresno
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5424111082505
Salary Total: $6,362
Total Pay: $154,283

Santiago Cardenas holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,283. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Evric Aragon

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,206

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $67,919
Overtime: $46,531
Other pay: $39,755
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,206
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,900
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141082633
Salary Total: $5,753
Total Pay: $154,206

Evric Aragon holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $154,206. They are represented by R08.

Riley Sutton

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,180

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $60,654
Overtime: $68,297
Other pay: $25,229
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,180
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,352
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082907
Salary Total: $5,218
Total Pay: $154,180

Riley Sutton is a Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,180. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Bryan Medina

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$154,047

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $68,680
Overtime: $57,856
Other pay: $27,512
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $154,047
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,899
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082717
Salary Total: $5,852
Total Pay: $154,047

Bryan Medina is a Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $154,047. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Robert Underwood

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$153,609

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $72,353
Overtime: $49,697
Other pay: $31,559
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,609
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: D

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141082613
Salary Total: $6,026
Total Pay: $153,609

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Robert Underwood serves as a Fire Fighter II within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $153,609. They are represented by R08.

Francisco Aguirre Jr

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$153,399

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $69,557
Overtime: $56,004
Other pay: $27,838
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,399
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,137
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082258
Salary Total: $5,984
Total Pay: $153,399

Francisco Aguirre Jr is a Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $153,399. Union affiliation: R08.

Gerardo Martinez

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$153,209

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $75,428
Overtime: $47,775
Other pay: $30,005
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,209
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082210
Salary Total: $6,362
Total Pay: $153,209

Gerardo Martinez holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $153,209. They are represented by R08.

Christopher Arias

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$153,100

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $79,239
Overtime: $42,437
Other pay: $31,424
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $153,100
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082719
Salary Total: $6,609
Total Pay: $153,100

Christopher Arias holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $153,100. They are represented by R08.

Casey Corcoran

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$151,664

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $70,687
Overtime: $2,314
Other pay: $78,663
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $151,664
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Butte
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5422111082619
Salary Total: $6,424
Total Pay: $151,664

Casey Corcoran works as a Fire Fighter II for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Casey earned $151,664 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R08.

Brennen Polenske

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$151,209

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $75,714
Overtime: $45,195
Other pay: $30,299
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $151,209
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082238
Salary Total: $6,326
Total Pay: $151,209

At Forestry and Fire Protection, Brennen Polenske serves as a Fire Fighter II within Forestry. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $151,209. They are represented by R08.

Gabriel Gomez

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$151,103

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $79,548
Overtime: $40,139
Other pay: $31,415
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $151,103
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082671
Salary Total: $6,764
Total Pay: $151,103

Gabriel Gomez is a Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $151,103. Union affiliation: R08.

Alejandro Melecio

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$150,903

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $69,557
Overtime: $53,287
Other pay: $28,059
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,903
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,137
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082907
Salary Total: $5,984
Total Pay: $150,903

Alejandro Melecio holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $150,903. Union affiliation: R08.

Kevin Brown Jr

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$150,611

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $79,363
Overtime: $39,793
Other pay: $31,455
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,611
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423121082731
Salary Total: $6,733
Total Pay: $150,611

Kevin Brown Jr holds the role of Fire Fighter II at Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $150,611. Union affiliation: R08.

Jaime Ortega

Fire Fighter II/Forestry and Fire Protection

2025 total comp

$150,545

Sub-department: Forestry
Base pay: $74,153
Overtime: $44,700
Other pay: $31,692
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $150,545
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R08
Work county: San Diego

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,181
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5423141082611
Salary Total: $6,176
Total Pay: $150,545

Jaime Ortega works as a Fire Fighter II for Forestry and Fire Protection within Forestry. Their status is full-time. Jaime earned $150,545 in 2025. They are represented by R08.