Firefighter Salary


How Much Does a Firefighter Make?

On average, a Firefighter make $60,390 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $31,600, while the top-paid 10 percent made $93,720.

Annually National Average Salary: $60,390

$31K
$40K
$60K
$75K
$93K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS.




Salary by State

  • Annually
  • Monthly
  • Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State 10% Annual 25% Annual Avg. Annual 75% Annual 90% Annual
Alabama$27,470$32,220$45,650$56,770$67,020
Alaska$31,040$40,390$57,910$77,250$84,840
Arizona$37,050$41,630$53,390$62,320$68,590
Arkansas$25,110$29,320$42,150$50,380$68,070
California$50,330$64,330$87,890$110,400$137,640
Colorado$48,000$59,760$74,940$87,380$103,130
Connecticut$47,000$61,210$72,470$83,650$89,620
Delaware$37,540$40,880$49,490$60,400$68,240
District of Columbia- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -
Florida$33,880$41,050$60,720$70,400$87,100
Georgia$30,350$36,610$44,180$50,030$59,160
Idaho$30,840$35,510$50,720$68,450$77,470
Illinois$32,140$50,160$75,610$100,860$103,220
Indiana$30,410$45,050$57,070$71,290$83,960
Iowa$34,070$38,590$53,590$61,580$80,670
Kansas$31,520$36,100$45,680$52,010$63,990
Kentucky$24,960$28,920$38,290$47,640$57,320
Louisiana$23,330$26,300$35,150$39,960$50,530
Maine$29,930$37,550$46,870$56,340$64,500
Maryland$41,990$51,400$64,570$75,910$83,150
Massachusetts$50,610$63,700$72,330$76,440$97,660
Michigan$35,880$39,010$52,820$61,590$74,690
Minnesota$27,370$32,410$47,440$61,360$70,520
Mississippi$23,920$27,630$36,810$46,040$50,940
Missouri$29,130$33,770$49,380$59,540$71,270
Montana$35,950$47,070$57,980$69,430$77,420
Nebraska$46,300$52,310$69,020$89,970$89,970
Nevada$48,620$51,400$65,760$68,520$88,590
New Hampshire$31,200$38,400$53,210$64,210$78,990
New Jersey$46,980$60,030$84,850$106,120$124,210
New Mexico$31,200$34,510$43,660$49,970$62,080
New York$57,790$69,210$80,950$93,810$101,410
North Carolina$28,340$30,040$39,940$45,950$58,640
North Dakota$34,070$40,290$53,620$67,230$74,260
Ohio$30,770$38,230$56,610$71,530$85,240
Oklahoma$29,820$39,610$58,780$72,340$91,550
Oregon$36,090$50,490$69,250$82,780$101,700
Pennsylvania$37,590$53,380$67,200$84,820$84,820
Rhode Island$47,920$57,680$65,840$76,610$85,860
South Carolina$27,580$35,170$44,550$50,720$60,720
South Dakota$39,250$41,770$53,480$67,950$80,030
Tennessee$30,230$35,080$45,080$52,600$62,390
Texas$38,390$47,970$59,120$67,870$77,250
Utah$31,530$36,570$48,770$57,570$75,890
Vermont$29,580$34,700$46,780$50,700$65,280
Virginia$38,030$46,940$57,280$67,560$81,020
Washington$41,910$68,070$83,630$104,820$110,970
West Virginia$28,670$31,830$42,200$48,430$58,570
Wisconsin$29,380$35,380$50,310$62,930$83,710
Wyoming$37,480$45,980$51,490$58,010$65,740

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is California, where the average salary is $87,890.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

California - $87,890
New Jersey - $84,850
Washington - $83,630
New York - $80,950
Illinois - $75,610

Firefighters: Salary Overview

Firefighters respond to fires and other emergencies where life, property, or the environment are at risk.

Their job responsibilities may include driving firetrucks, using water hoses to put out a fire, treating sick or injured people, preparing written reports, cleaning equipment, and conducting drills.

When they are not responding to an emergency, firefighters are on call at the fire station.

Here they typically inspect the equipment, practice drills, eat, sleep, and remain on call.

Firefighter shifts usually last 24 hours and they are off duty the following 48 to 72 hours.

Some work 10/14 shifts which means that they are at work for 10 hours and off duty for 14 hours.

When fighting wildland or forest fires, firefighters may work long hours and they may have to stay at the scene for days or weeks.

Some firefighters work with hazardous materials and are trained to control and clean up hazardous materials, including chemical accidents and oil spills.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS), the median annual wage for firefighters was $50,850 in May 2019.

Their salaries may vary based on a wide range of factors and some firefighters make less than $25,550 a year while others make more than $92,020, according to the report published by BLS.

As an entry-level firefighter, you can expect to earn somewhere close to the minimum for this profession but your earnings will increase as you gain experience.

Firefighter Salary by Industry

Firefighters may work for state governments, for the federal government, or for local governments.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, firefighters held 332,400 jobs in the United States in 2018, most of them (89%) work for local governments.

State governments hired approximately 3% percent of all firefighters, while 2% of them worked for the federal government.

These numbers exclude volunteer firefighters – according to the National Fire Protection Agency the majority of firefighters (two thirds) are volunteer firefighters.

Salaries vary depending on the industry of employment.

As of May 2019, the median annual wage for firefighters who worked for state governments was $55,030 while those who worked for the federal government earned a median annual wage of $52,140.

The median annual salary for firefighters who worked for local governments was $51,850 in May 2019.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 14,520 firefighters worked in the field of Other Support Services and earned a median annual wage of $35,590.

About 700 firefighters worked for in the field of Other Ambulatory Health Care Sevices; the mean annual wage for firefighters who work in this industry was $38,400.

The highest wages were reported by firefighters who worked in the field of Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing, a field where the mean annual wage was $65,330 in May 2019.

Firefighters who worked in the Scientific Research and Development Services earned an average annual wage of $63,400 a year.

Some firefighters worked for Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools- a field where the mean annual wage for firefighters was $63,090.

However, there are only a few jobs available for firefighters in these top-paying industries, and competition is expected to be strong.

For example, firefighters held only 390 jobs in the field of Aerospace Products and Parts Manufacturing and 100 jobs in Scientific Research and Development Services.

Most firefighters also receive medical, dental, and vision benefits.

Job Prospects

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for firefighters is projected to grow 5 percent from 2018 to 2028.

They will continue to be needed to respond to fires and emergency situations and applicants who are physically fit and have completed some postsecondary firefighter and paramedic training should have the best job prospects.

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Firefighters. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


See More Salaries

Leave a Comment

icon-angle icon-bars icon-times
×