Does CAL Fire pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, CAL Fire employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at CAL Fire. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at CAL Fire?

67% of CAL Fire employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated CAL Fire 3.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at CAL Fire?

Firefighter (30) , Firefighter/EMT (29) , Fire Captain (14) , Fire Apparatus Engineer (10) , Fire Fighter Ff1 Seasonal (10) , Firefighter/Paramedic (7) , Firefighter I (6) , Wildland Firefighter (5) , Associate Governmental Program Analyst (AGPA) (4) , Seasonal Firefighter I (4) , Analyst (3) , Communications Operator (3) , Staff Services Analyst (3) , Accountant (2) , Accountant Trainee (2)

What are the pros of working at CAL Fire according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefits since it is a state agency" ((in 22 reviews)); "Helping the community and being surrounded by great people." ((in 11 reviews)); "Career opportunities" ((in 5 reviews)); "Lots of great training and excellent department" ((in 4 reviews)); "Good retirement and benifits but they cost alot" ((in 4 reviews))

What are the cons of working at CAL Fire according to real employee reviews?

"Low pay and excessive workweek schedule as compared to peer fire agencies." ((in 16 reviews)); "Long hours and encountering dangerous situations" ((in 15 reviews)); "Management is horrible." ((in 7 reviews)); "No work/life balance." ((in 3 reviews)); "Aggressive leadership and not very understanding employers" ((in 3 reviews))

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CAL Fire

CAL Fire Reviews

3.8

67% would recommend to a friend

(207 total reviews)

Joe Tyler

85% approve of CEO

63% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Career opportunities

3.8

Compensation and benefits

3.7

Diversity and inclusion

3.6

Culture and values

3.3

Senior management

3.0

Work/Life balance

CAL Fire has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 207 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The CAL Fire employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government and public administration industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Ethnic group

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

207 reviews

2.0

Jul 2, 2017

Lousy management

Firefighter

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

The people are pretty great and the pensions decent.

Cons

Pay for the average worker is not good. If you live in any of the most expensive areas of California, good luck trying to survive on your salary. Management is horrible. They can make seemingly any decision with zero accountability.

2.0

Oct 19, 2014

The "WAL-MART" of fire departments

Fire captain

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

After 20 years I am still looking.

Cons

Minimal pay for the amount of dedication, labor and expectations.

1.0

Aug 15, 2025

Sneaky, toxic, illegal hiring practices

Ssa

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

It’s the state so benefits are good

Cons

Management is literally corrupt and evil, blocks good employees from promotions, falsifies personnel reviews like probationary reports, reference checks, etc. and the union is aware and does nothing.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 207 Reviews

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Jobs at CAL Fire

COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR

OFFICE TECHNICIAN (GENERAL)

FORESTER I (NONSUPERVISORY)

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CAL Fire Reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Lousy management

The "WAL-MART" of fire departments

Sneaky, toxic, illegal hiring practices

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