Estimated Weekly PFL Benefit — Firefighter · 2026
$1,212/week
Based on $90,000/year · 8-week total: $9,692
How PFL Is Calculated for Firefighters
California Firefighters who pay into SDI qualify for PFL. Here is the full EDD calculation for a Firefighter earning $90,000/year:
1
Highest Quarter Earnings$90,000 ÷ 4 = $22,500 · Overtime and hazard pay reported on W-2 count toward EDD wages. CalPERS members may have additional leave provisions.
2
Average Weekly Wage (AWW)$22,500 ÷ 13 weeks = $1,731/week
3
Apply Rate: 70%$1,731 × 70% = $1,212/week
4
Multiply by Weeks Taken$1,212 × 8 weeks = $9,692 total
Benefit by Number of Weeks
| Leave Duration | Weekly Benefit | Total Benefit |
|---|
| 1 week | $1,212/wk | $1,212 |
| 2 weeks | $1,212/wk | $2,423 |
| 4 weeks | $1,212/wk | $4,846 |
| 6 weeks | $1,212/wk | $7,269 |
| 8 weeks | $1,212/wk | $9,692 |
Why firefighters often beat the $1,212 estimate and many hit the cap
The $1,212/week figure assumes a flat $90,000 spread evenly across four quarters. Firefighting pay almost never works that way. EDD ignores your salary and your annual total. It uses your single highest-earning quarter in the base period, divided by 13. And for fire crews, one feature dominates that calculation: mandatory and trade overtime is concentrated, not spread evenly.
A 48/96 or Kelly schedule, forced holdovers, strike-team deployments, and the wildfire surge all pile hours into specific months. During a heavy fire season, a single quarter can carry far more overtime, callback, and out-of-county pay than a quiet winter quarter. Because EDD picks your best quarter, that surge quarter is usually what sets your benefit, which is why many firefighters qualify for more than a flat salary ÷ 4 suggests.
- Overtime and forced holdovers. Time-and-a-half hours land in the quarter worked and can lift it thousands above a normal quarter.
- Strike-team / wildfire deployment pay. Multi-week assignments concentrate earnings into one quarter, often the one EDD ends up using.
- FLSA 7(k) overtime, callback, and educational/paramedic incentive pay. All of it counts toward EDD wages if it was on your W-2 with SDI ("CASDI") withheld.
The $1,765 weekly cap and how a fire-season quarter pushes you there
California caps the 2026 PFL benefit at $1,765/week regardless of how high your wages are. A firefighter hits that cap once their highest quarter clears about $32,800 (roughly $131,000/year if earned evenly, though often far less in practice because overtime concentrates into one quarter). A firefighter on a $90,000 base who logs a heavy deployment-and-overtime quarter can reach the cap even though the flat estimate shows only $1,212.
| Highest-quarter wages | AWW (÷13) | Weekly benefit |
|---|
| $22,500 (flat ~$90k/yr) | $1,731 | $1,212 |
| $26,000 (some OT) | $2,000 | $1,400 |
| $30,000 (heavy OT) | $2,308 | $1,615 |
| $32,800 (cap threshold) | $2,523 | $1,765 (cap) |
| $40,000+ (fire-season quarter) | $3,077 | $1,765 (cap) |
Once your best quarter clears about $32,800, the weekly benefit stops climbing. You receive the flat $1,765 maximum no matter how much overtime you piled into that quarter.
💡Estimate from your fire-season quarter, not your base salaryPull your wages by quarter from myEDD, or total the pay stubs from your heaviest 3-month stretch of deployments and overtime. Enter that quarter ÷ 13 as your salary-equivalent here for a far more accurate number.
PTO, agency top-up, and job protection for firefighters
Firefighters who pay into SDI (look for "CASDI" on your stub) qualify for PFL to bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill family member. A few things specific to fire-service employment are worth checking before you file:
- Memorandum-of-understanding leave rules. Many city and county fire MOUs let you (or require you to) use accrued vacation before PFL begins. PFL has no 7-day waiting period, but an employer can require up to two weeks of vacation first.
- Shift-based intermittent leave. Because crews work in 24- or 48-hour blocks, many firefighters take PFL scheduled around their shift rotation rather than 8 weeks straight. EDD allows this; the total still can't exceed 8 weeks per 12-month period.
- CalPERS vs. PFL. Pension service-credit rules are separate from PFL; PFL is a wage-replacement benefit and does not by itself change your CalPERS accrual. Confirm with your agency how leave time is reported.
⚠️File within 41 days of your first leave dayPFL replaces income but does not protect your job by itself. Most California firefighters at employers with 5+ employees also have CFRA job protection, which runs concurrently with PFL. Confirm both before your leave starts. File at edd.ca.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much PFL does a firefighter get in California in 2026? +
A firefighter on a flat $90,000/year gets an estimated $1,212/week, or $9,692 over the full 8 weeks. But EDD uses your single highest quarter, not your salary — so firefighters whose best quarter is inflated by overtime or fire-season deployment pay often receive more, and those whose best quarter tops about $32,800 receive the $1,765 weekly maximum.
Does overtime and strike-team deployment pay raise a firefighter's PFL benefit? +
Yes, and often a lot. EDD bases your benefit on the highest-earning quarter in your base period. Mandatory overtime, forced holdovers, callback, and wildfire deployment pay all land in the quarter you earn them — and because firefighting overtime is concentrated rather than spread out, that surge quarter frequently sets your benefit and can push you to the $1,765 cap.
Why might a firefighter hit the $1,765 PFL maximum? +
The 2026 weekly cap is $1,765, reached once your highest quarter clears about $32,800. A firefighter on a $90,000 base who logs a heavy quarter of overtime and deployment can cross that threshold even though the flat estimate shows $1,212. Beyond the cap, extra earnings do not increase your weekly benefit.
Can a firefighter take PFL intermittently around shifts? +
Yes. PFL can be taken in separate blocks rather than one continuous stretch, which suits 24- and 48-hour shift rotations. You arrange it with your department and report it to EDD; the total can't exceed 8 weeks in a rolling 12-month period. Your MOU may require using some accrued vacation first.
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