Working title

Forestry Fire Pilot

Monthly salary

$7948.00 - $10488.00

Job Code #

JC-527894

Position #

542-212-1046-570

Deadline

09/09/2026

External Link

Apply Now

Job Description and Duties For questions related to the duties of the position, please contact Battalion Chief Larry Turman by phone at (530) 310-2213 or by email at Larry.Turman@fire.ca.gov.

The position will be located at the the Bieber Helitack Base in Susanville, CA.

Eligibility Information

To be considered for this position, candidates must meet one of the following eligibility criteria:

Candidates with SROA/Surplus eligibility will be given priority, if any. If none, then;

Candidate must have taken and passed the examination for this classification and be active on a current certified eligibility list; or,

Candidate must be eligible to transfer; or,

Candidate must be eligible to reinstate.

To obtain list eligibility, candidates must take and pass an examination for the classification of interest. The examination for this classification is currently posted and can be accessed by following the link below:

Forestry Fire Pilot

Applicants that successfully complete and pass the examination will be placed on an eligibility list. Obtaining list eligibility does not guarantee employment. Those interested in obtaining employment as a list eligible candidate must apply to the job control of the position in which you are interested and compete through the state recruitment process. The score and rank you achieve on your examination will not be considered during the rating portion of the hiring process; evaluation will be based on separate, predetermined criteria that evaluate your knowledge, specialized skills, and abilities in relation to specific program needs.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. Equal Opportunity Employer The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants. It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants. Equal Opportunity Employer The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

Application Methods:

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

This classification is eligible for the following pay:

$7948 - $10488 Base Salary (paid every month)

$2701 - $3564 Extended Duty Week Compensation (paid every 4 weeks)

$130,489 – $172,188 Annual Compensation

Employees in the classification are eligible for Pay Differential 506 and shall receive incentives based on their helicopter pilot qualifications and/or CAL FIRE helicopter program responsibilities. These incentives shall be cumulative, depending on the qualifications and program responsibilities of the employee, the total of which shall not exceed 15% of base pay.

 

RATE
10% of base salary - S-70i Firehawk Helicopter and Night Flying Qualified

2.5% of base salary - Unit Instructor Pilot

2.5% of base salary - Flight Examiner

2.5% of base salary - Helicopter Instructor Pilot

2.5% of base salary - Maintenance Test Pilot

2.5% of base salary - Chief Pilot

 

This differential shall be considered compensation for the purposes of retirement contributions.

In addition to the above pay items, employees are eligible for medical benefits (health, dental, vision) and may be eligible for other pay differentials, more information on which can be found on the Pay Differentials Library website.

Benefits Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

This classification is eligible for the following pay:

$7948 - $10488 Base Salary (paid every month)

$2701 - $3564 Extended Duty Week Compensation (paid every 4 weeks)

$130,489 – $172,188 Annual Compensation

Employees in the classification are eligible for Pay Differential 506 and shall receive incentives based on their helicopter pilot qualifications and/or CAL FIRE helicopter program responsibilities. These incentives shall be cumulative, depending on the qualifications and program responsibilities of the employee, the total of which shall not exceed 15% of base pay.

 

RATE
10% of base salary - S-70i Firehawk Helicopter and Night Flying Qualified

2.5% of base salary - Unit Instructor Pilot

2.5% of base salary - Flight Examiner

2.5% of base salary - Helicopter Instructor Pilot

2.5% of base salary - Maintenance Test Pilot

2.5% of base salary - Chief Pilot

 

This differential shall be considered compensation for the purposes of retirement contributions.

In addition to the above pay items, employees are eligible for medical benefits (health, dental, vision) and may be eligible for other pay differentials, more information on which can be found on the Pay Differentials Library website.

Job Application Package Checklist

Duty Statement

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.