Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$34,910
- 25th Percentile — Junior$44,490
- 50th Percentile — Median$59,280
- 75th Percentile — Senior$77,250
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$101,040
The top 10% of Firefighters earn $101,040 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $34,910, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii (est.) | $98,626 | +55.0% |
| California | $95,090 | +49.4% |
| Washington | $89,200 | +40.2% |
| New York | $87,150 | +37.0% |
| New Jersey | $85,810 | +34.9% |
| District of Columbia | $79,550 | +25.0% |
| Colorado | $78,380 | +23.2% |
| Illinois | $76,530 | +20.3% |
| Connecticut | $73,760 | +15.9% |
| Massachusetts | $73,220 | +15.1% |
| Maryland | $72,550 | +14.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $71,340 | +12.1% |
| Oregon | $71,290 | +12.0% |
| Nevada | $70,510 | +10.8% |
| Rhode Island | $67,480 | +6.1% |
| Indiana | $62,420 | -1.9% |
| Florida | $61,370 | -3.6% |
| Arizona | $60,850 | -4.4% |
| Texas | $60,390 | -5.1% |
| Alaska | $59,190 | -7.0% |
| Nebraska | $59,190 | -7.0% |
| Virginia | $58,240 | -8.5% |
| Ohio | $58,130 | -8.6% |
| North Dakota | $57,980 | -8.9% |
| Montana | $57,660 | -9.4% |
| Iowa | $57,240 | -10.0% |
| Wyoming | $56,800 | -10.7% |
| Michigan | $56,250 | -11.6% |
| New Hampshire | $55,730 | -12.4% |
| Missouri | $55,240 | -13.2% |
| Idaho | $54,470 | -14.4% |
| Delaware | $53,420 | -16.0% |
| Oklahoma | $52,280 | -17.8% |
| Tennessee | $51,590 | -18.9% |
| Utah | $51,270 | -19.4% |
| South Dakota | $51,180 | -19.6% |
| Wisconsin | $50,710 | -20.3% |
| Maine | $50,230 | -21.1% |
| Alabama | $49,720 | -21.9% |
| Vermont | $49,570 | -22.1% |
| Kansas | $49,110 | -22.8% |
| Georgia | $47,170 | -25.9% |
| Minnesota | $45,170 | -29.0% |
| South Carolina | $43,900 | -31.0% |
| Arkansas | $43,380 | -31.8% |
| New Mexico | $43,180 | -32.1% |
| North Carolina | $43,060 | -32.3% |
| Kentucky | $42,100 | -33.8% |
| West Virginia | $40,100 | -37.0% |
| Mississippi | $37,230 | -41.5% |
| Louisiana | $36,610 | -42.5% |
What Factors Affect Firefighters Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Firefighters is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $95,090, while Louisiana pays $36,610 — a gap of $58,480 per year.
The middle half of Firefighters earn between $44,490 and $77,250 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $34,910, while the top 10% earn more than $101,040.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- First-Line Supervisors of Police $112,190/yr United States +76.3% vs this role
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators $99,430/yr United States +56.3% vs this role
- Security Guards $42,470/yr United States 33.3% vs this role
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting $96,930/yr United States +52.3% vs this role
- Correctional Officers and Jailers $63,630/yr United States +0.0% vs this role
- Private Detectives and Investigators $60,150/yr United States 5.5% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +59.4% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +115.8% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Firefighters?
The average salary for Firefighters in the United States is $63,630 per year, with a median of $59,280.
What is the starting salary for Firefighters?
Entry-level Firefighters typically earn between $34,910 and $44,490 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Firefighters the most?
California pays Firefighters the most at $95,090 per year on average, followed by Washington ($89,200) and New York ($87,150).
How much do Firefighters make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $63,630, Firefighters earn approximately $30.59 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Firefighters a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 345,990 Firefighters jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $63,630 and a median of $59,280 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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