With the 2020 federal pay raise and minimum wage hikes in California and some other states, entry level Federal Wildland Firefighters will make .32 cents more an hour, or $2.56 more day than a minimum wage worker in 2020.
Men and women Federal Wildland Firefighters are required to have a baseline of skills from the start and increase those skills and proficiency over a short period of time. Pay does not increase during a fire season as skills and proficiency increase. Federal Wildland Firefighters train in the classroom and in the field continuously and require a high level of physical conditioning.
The risks associated with the position are tremendously higher than most professions, let alone minimum wage positions.
All for 2.56 more a day.