State comparison · 2025
Firefighters salary: Arkansas vs California
Firefighters in California earn a median of $85,120. In Arkansas, $39,690. After cost-of-living, the gap is 40.6% — not 53.4%.
Nominal pay gap
-53.4%
Arkansas vs California
COL-adjusted gap
-40.6%
After BEA Regional Price Parities
Arkansas
Firefighters
- Median
- $39,690
- p25
- $33,560
- p75
- $52,000
- p10
- $28,680
- p90
- $60,860
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 86.9
California
Firefighters
- Median
- $85,120
- p25
- $65,170
- p75
- $109,620
- p10
- $52,390
- p90
- $136,150
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 110.7
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Cost-of-living adjustment from BEA Regional Price Parities (overall index). Hiring velocity from DOL OFLC public disclosure data, recent 180 days vs prior. See methodology.