Firefighter Jobs in California (CA)
189 open positions across California.
FireJobs lists 189 open firefighter positions in California from more than 12 hiring departments (127 full-time, 21 part-time and 41 volunteer). Each listing is checked against the department's own hiring page and shows the closing date, salary where the department publishes one, requirements, and the direct application link.
You are seeing the first 3 departments. Every one of the 189 listings shows its salary, closing date and application link to members. See all of them free for 7 days.
Fire departments hiring in California
Departments with the most open positions right now.
- Foresthill Fire Protection District · Foresthill · 6 openings
- Canyon Lake Fire Service · Canyon Lake · 5 openings
- La Habra Heights Fire Department · La Habra Heights · 5 openings
- Sacramento Fire Department · Sacramento · 5 openings
- Santee Fire Department · Santee · 5 openings
- Montecito Fire Protection District · Santa Barbara · 4 openings
- North Central Fire Protection District · Kerman · 4 openings
- Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Fire Department · San Jacinto · 4 openings
- Alameda County Fire Department · Dublin · 3 openings
- Barstow Fire Protection District · Barstow · 3 openings
- Georgetown Fire Department · Georgetown · 3 openings
- Livingston Fire Department · Livingston · 3 openings
Browse all 839 fire departments in California, including the ones not hiring today.
Firefighter salary in California
Across the 116 current California postings that publish pay, starting salaries run from about $46,704 to $183,972 a year, with a typical starting figure near $87,686. Hourly and monthly rates are converted to annual figures. Volunteer and paid-per-call positions usually pay a stipend or nothing and are not included. Members see the exact salary on every listing.
Compare firefighter salaries by stateHow to become a firefighter in California
Certification. State Fire Training, part of the Office of the State Fire Marshal, issues the Firefighter I and Firefighter II certifications most departments want. An EMT license is required by nearly every career department, and many prefer paramedics.
How hiring works. Most California departments test through the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC), which runs the statewide written test and CPAT, and pull candidates from its list. Large departments like Los Angeles City, LA County, and Cal Fire run their own processes.
Competition is high: a single academy class can draw thousands of applicants, so completing FCTC testing early and holding an EMT or paramedic license matters more here than in most states.
Wherever you apply, expect the same core steps: meet the age, education, and driver's license minimums, pass a written exam and a physical ability test (often the CPAT), clear an oral board interview, and pass a background investigation and medical exam.
California firefighter job questions
- How many firefighter jobs are open in California?
- 189 firefighter and fire service positions are open in California on FireJobs today, at 12 departments. The count updates daily as departments post and close positions.
- What certification do California firefighters need?
- State Fire Training, part of the Office of the State Fire Marshal, issues the Firefighter I and Firefighter II certifications most departments want. An EMT license is required by nearly every career department, and many prefer paramedics.
- How does firefighter hiring work in California?
- Most California departments test through the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC), which runs the statewide written test and CPAT, and pull candidates from its list. Large departments like Los Angeles City, LA County, and Cal Fire run their own processes.
- How much do firefighters make in California?
- Across the 116 current California postings that publish pay, starting salaries run from about $46,704 to $183,972 a year, with a typical starting figure near $87,686. Each listing shows its exact figure to FireJobs members.