Fire Watch Salary in California

$29/hr

California construction laborer employee wages provide a broader benchmark for assessing fire-watch offers, paid monitoring time and site duties.

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What Fire Watches Earn in California

California's construction laborer benchmark spans $19.69–$45.01/hr, or $40,950–$93,620 a year. These employee figures describe a broader occupation, not fire-watch-only pay. Premium pay and benefits are excluded. For a hot-work assignment, ask which hours cover preparation, active watching and required monitoring afterward. Compare offers with the same coverage period and responsibilities, including relief arrangements and any monitoring extension required by the fire official or hot-work manager.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$19.69–$23.15/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$23.15–$37.75/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$37.75–$45.01/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Fire Watch
California · Day Shift
Base rate$30.45
+ SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.83
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$2.18
+ Fire Watch / Hot Work Safety (NFPA 51B, Cal/OSHA)$0.07
Effective hourly$37.53
Straight · 40 hrs$1,501
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$450
Weekly gross$1,952
Annualised · 50 weeks
$97,578
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

These national construction laborer medians frame three settings for California hot-work assignments. Ask each employer for its written fire-watch offer and schedule.

01 / 03$24.01/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building work puts watches around cutting and welding near partitions. Ask how exposed rooms and floors affect your assigned coverage. Discuss handovers when work moves and another crew takes over the same area.

+ Varied projects
+ Building experience
– Changing floors
– Project deadlines
02 / 03$24.08/hr

Highway, Street, Bridge Construction

Bridge construction brings hot work into outdoor infrastructure projects. Discuss access to exposed areas and how the crew maintains emergency communication. Ask whether your shift follows the cutting crew or includes a longer watch afterward.

+ Infrastructure experience
+ Outdoor work
– Traffic exposure
– Weather exposure
03 / 03$22.79/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Demolition and site-preparation contractors work around changing structures. Ask where cutting occurs, which areas need watching and who provides relief coverage. Discuss who updates your instructions when the removal sequence changes.

+ Varied sites
+ Removal experience
– Changing access
– Debris hazards

Which states pay fire watch attendants the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Californiathis page$28.98/hr
  2. 02Virginia$20.94/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$4.83$10,046$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$2.18$4,534$1592 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.73$1,518$593 weeks
Fire Watch / Hot Work Safety (NFPA 51B, Cal/OSHA)+$0.07$146$4015 weeks
American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED+$0.15$312$10217 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $28.98/hr.

40 hr week
$1,159
No OT
50 hr week
$1,594
+$21,735/yr
60 hr week
$2,029
+$43,470/yr
70 hr week
$2,463
+$65,205/yr

Questions workers ask

Can my employer deduct a lost extinguisher from my pay?▾
No, not for a mistake or accident. The Labor Commissioner's deductions guidance says employers bear equipment losses caused by accident or simple negligence. Report damaged or missing equipment promptly in writing.
Is required monitoring paid after the welder leaves?▾
Yes. Required watching counts as work for covered employees. Record when monitoring starts, when relief arrives and when you are released. California construction overtime generally applies after eight daily or 40 weekly hours, with exceptions for qualifying arrangements.
If hot work is canceled when I arrive, am I paid?▾
Yes, in most cases. The Labor Commissioner's reporting time rules require pay for half the scheduled day, at least two and at most four hours, when you report and receive less than half. Exceptions include causes outside the employer's control.

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Current BLS California employee wages for Construction Laborers, SOC 47-2061; a broader comparison benchmark, not fire-watch-only pay, excluding premium pay and benefits.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.