Firefighters
Firefighters (SOC 33-2011) earn a median $59,280 a year ($28.50 an hour) in the United States, with 345,990 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What firefighters do
Firefighters control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property or the environment is at risk. The SOC says their duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance. They dress in fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus, respond to fire alarms and other calls for help such as automobile and industrial accidents, and use their knowledge of fire types, construction design, building materials and property layout to move toward the source of a fire. They create openings for ventilation or entry with axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws or core cutters, and rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites and water hazards. They assess fires and report conditions to superiors by two-way radio, drive and operate firefighting vehicles and equipment, and inspect fire sites afterward to make sure no danger remains. Education is varied: about 36 percent of respondents report a high school diploma, 25 percent a postsecondary certificate and 20 percent some college courses. Employers may use titles such as airport firefighter, apparatus operator, fire engineer, crash fire firefighter and fire equipment operator.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical level of education for this occupation (36 percent).
Also called: Airport Firefighter, Apparatus Operator, Crash Fire Firefighter, Fire Alarm Operator, Fire Apparatus Engineer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.79 | $21.39 | $28.50 | $37.14 | $48.58 | $30.59 | 345,990 |
| Annual | $34,910 | $44,490 | $59,280 | $77,250 | $101,040 | $63,630 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where firefighters earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $27.11 | $31.45 | $48.54 | $51.17 | $51.17 | $41.90 | 12,950 | 1.34 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $56,390 | $65,420 | $100,960 | $106,430 | $106,440 | $87,150 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $22.91 | $34.76 | $45.44 | $50.74 | $59.61 | $42.88 | 7,560 | 2.13 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $47,640 | $72,300 | $94,520 | $105,540 | $123,980 | $89,200 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $25.19 | $31.33 | $40.92 | $52.70 | $65.46 | $45.72 | 31,470 | 1.73 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $52,390 | $65,170 | $85,120 | $109,620 | $136,150 | $95,090 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $23.04 | $29.49 | $40.45 | $51.12 | $59.59 | $41.26 | 7,500 | 1.75 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $47,920 | $61,340 | $84,130 | $106,330 | $123,940 | $85,810 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $18.70 | $23.03 | $37.68 | $49.77 | $50.99 | $36.79 | 18,400 | 3.02 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $38,900 | $47,910 | $78,380 | $103,530 | $106,060 | $76,530 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $25.19 | $31.33 | $40.92 | $52.70 | $65.46 | $45.72 | 31,470 | 1.73 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $52,390 | $65,170 | $85,120 | $109,620 | $136,150 | $95,090 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $19.24 | $23.41 | $28.94 | $34.61 | $37.10 | $29.04 | 28,170 | 2.00 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $40,020 | $48,680 | $60,180 | $71,980 | $77,170 | $60,390 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.91 | $22.07 | $28.15 | $36.46 | $44.86 | $29.51 | 24,570 | 2.48 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $37,260 | $45,900 | $58,550 | $75,840 | $93,310 | $61,370 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $14.12 | $16.35 | $18.24 | $22.93 | $29.78 | $20.70 | 19,410 | 3.93 | 1.77 |
| Annual | $29,360 | $34,010 | $37,940 | $47,690 | $61,940 | $43,060 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $18.70 | $23.03 | $37.68 | $49.77 | $50.99 | $36.79 | 18,400 | 3.02 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $38,900 | $47,910 | $78,380 | $103,530 | $106,060 | $76,530 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $28.69 | $45.09 | $73.12 | $80.18 | $87.15 | $64.55 | 1,330 | 1.17 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $59,680 | $93,800 | $152,100 | $166,770 | $181,270 | $134,270 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $37.05 | $46.36 | $54.66 | $60.28 | $67.11 | $53.17 | 3,450 | 1.45 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $77,070 | $96,420 | $113,700 | $125,390 | $139,590 | $110,590 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $27.11 | $36.00 | $51.16 | $51.17 | $55.47 | $44.43 | 14,960 | 1.58 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $56,390 | $74,880 | $106,420 | $106,430 | $115,380 | $92,410 | ||||
| Bellingham, WA | Hourly | $29.66 | $39.07 | $48.62 | $49.10 | $56.73 | $45.00 | 320 | 3.48 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $61,690 | $81,270 | $101,130 | $102,120 | $117,990 | $93,600 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $35.27 | $43.85 | $48.60 | $57.58 | $59.62 | $48.30 | 3,760 | 1.80 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $73,360 | $91,210 | $101,090 | $119,770 | $124,000 | $100,450 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $27.11 | $36.00 | $51.16 | $51.17 | $55.47 | $44.43 | 14,960 | 1.58 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $56,390 | $74,880 | $106,420 | $106,430 | $115,380 | $92,410 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $20.23 | $23.37 | $39.82 | $50.83 | $54.29 | $38.52 | 14,560 | 3.23 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $42,080 | $48,610 | $82,820 | $105,720 | $112,930 | $80,110 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $23.30 | $28.76 | $31.20 | $35.37 | $44.57 | $32.32 | 8,780 | 2.17 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $48,460 | $59,830 | $64,900 | $73,580 | $92,700 | $67,220 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $23.90 | $29.83 | $35.57 | $39.00 | $56.99 | $36.25 | 8,510 | 3.15 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $49,700 | $62,050 | $73,990 | $81,110 | $118,540 | $75,400 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $23.25 | $28.41 | $32.20 | $40.18 | $47.49 | $34.09 | 7,610 | 2.43 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $48,360 | $59,080 | $66,980 | $83,570 | $98,770 | $70,910 | ||||
Top industries employing firefighters
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 87.5% of firefighters nationally (302,660 jobs) at a median $59,850 a year ($28.78 an hour), followed by Other Support Services (5.4%) and State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (3.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 302,660 | 87.5% | $59,850 | $28.78 |
| Other Support Services NAICS 561900 | 18,660 | 5.4% | $37,520 | $18.04 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 13,240 | 3.8% | $64,980 | $31.24 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 7,430 | 2.1% | $63,270 | $30.42 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services NAICS 621900 | 670 | 0.2% | $34,850 | $16.75 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (345,990). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $50,700 for firefighters in May 2021 and $59,280 in May 2025, with employment of 317,310 and 345,990.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $50,700 | $24.38 | 317,310 |
| May 2022 | $51,680 | $24.85 | 321,450 |
| May 2023 | $57,120 | $27.46 | 315,460 |
| May 2024 | $59,530 | $28.62 | 332,240 |
| May 2025 | $59,280 | $28.50 | 345,990 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $48.54 | $100,960 | $56,390 | $106,440 | 12,950 | 1.34 | 0.60 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $45.44 | $94,520 | $47,640 | $123,980 | 7,560 | 2.13 | 0.96 |
| 3 | California profile | $40.92 | $85,120 | $52,390 | $136,150 | 31,470 | 1.73 | 0.78 |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | $40.45 | $84,130 | $47,920 | $123,940 | 7,500 | 1.75 | 0.79 |
| 5 | Illinois profile | $37.68 | $78,380 | $38,900 | $106,060 | 18,400 | 3.02 | 1.36 |
| 6 | Connecticut profile | $37.32 | $77,630 | $51,320 | $85,500 | 2,970 | 1.75 | 0.79 |
| 7 | District of Columbia profile | $36.48 | $75,870 | $61,050 | $99,760 | 1,480 | 2.10 | 0.95 |
| 8 | Colorado profile | $35.66 | $74,170 | $47,000 | $114,170 | 6,510 | 2.26 | 1.02 |
| 9 | Maryland profile | $35.49 | $73,810 | $48,030 | $98,770 | 5,340 | 1.93 | 0.87 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania profile | $35.32 | $73,460 | $48,620 | $89,190 | 5,020 | 0.83 | 0.37 |
| 11 | Massachusetts profile | $35.00 | $72,800 | $49,730 | $98,130 | 11,940 | 3.28 | 1.48 |
| 12 | Oregon profile | $34.09 | $70,900 | $38,800 | $104,070 | 3,790 | 1.93 | 0.87 |
| 13 | Rhode Island profile | $32.39 | $67,380 | $56,110 | $76,620 | 1,620 | 3.24 | 1.46 |
| 14 | Nevada profile | $32.01 | $66,570 | $47,600 | $101,450 | 2,640 | 1.70 | 0.77 |
| 15 | Indiana profile | $30.18 | $62,780 | $38,460 | $81,890 | 8,530 | 2.67 | 1.20 |
| 16 | Nebraska profile | $29.35 | $61,040 | $46,660 | $69,460 | 1,070 | 1.05 | 0.47 |
| 17 | Texas profile | $28.94 | $60,180 | $40,020 | $77,170 | 28,170 | 2.00 | 0.90 |
| 18 | Ohio profile | $28.54 | $59,370 | $34,420 | $84,010 | 18,100 | 3.26 | 1.47 |
| 19 | Montana profile | $28.52 | $59,310 | $32,810 | $76,620 | 1,010 | 1.97 | 0.89 |
| 20 | Arizona profile | $28.50 | $59,280 | $36,700 | $88,220 | 7,500 | 2.32 | 1.04 |
| 21 | Alaska profile | $28.28 | $58,830 | $35,520 | $82,360 | 1,040 | 3.19 | 1.43 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | $28.21 | $58,670 | $38,310 | $77,310 | 11,160 | 2.72 | 1.22 |
| 23 | Florida profile | $28.15 | $58,550 | $37,260 | $93,310 | 24,570 | 2.48 | 1.11 |
| 24 | Wyoming profile | $27.93 | $58,090 | $39,550 | $78,760 | 680 | 2.43 | 1.09 |
| 25 | New Hampshire profile | $27.22 | $56,620 | $35,450 | $78,570 | 2,700 | 3.95 | 1.77 |
| 26 | Iowa profile | $26.83 | $55,810 | $32,240 | $87,720 | 2,170 | 1.39 | 0.63 |
| 27 | North Dakota profile | $26.48 | $55,080 | $39,700 | $77,530 | 820 | 1.90 | 0.86 |
| 28 | Michigan profile | $26.27 | $54,640 | $37,190 | $78,550 | 6,610 | 1.50 | 0.67 |
| 29 | Oklahoma profile | $23.90 | $49,710 | $31,620 | $77,560 | 4,150 | 2.43 | 1.09 |
| 30 | Tennessee profile | $23.70 | $49,300 | $33,910 | $70,460 | 7,020 | 2.14 | 0.96 |
| 31 | Missouri profile | $23.60 | $49,080 | $31,140 | $79,360 | 6,580 | 2.24 | 1.01 |
| 32 | Utah profile | $23.23 | $48,310 | $27,660 | $80,320 | 2,870 | 1.66 | 0.74 |
| 33 | Maine profile | $23.22 | $48,290 | $35,740 | $63,740 | 2,480 | 3.88 | 1.74 |
| 34 | South Dakota profile | $23.15 | $48,160 | $39,240 | $61,420 | 610 | 1.34 | 0.60 |
| 35 | Alabama profile | $22.89 | $47,600 | $29,770 | $76,190 | 7,260 | 3.44 | 1.54 |
| 36 | Idaho profile | $22.75 | $47,320 | $30,280 | $81,190 | 2,240 | 2.61 | 1.17 |
| 37 | Wisconsin profile | $22.53 | $46,850 | $29,390 | $77,050 | 8,120 | 2.76 | 1.24 |
| 38 | Delaware profile | $22.46 | $46,710 | $41,960 | $72,160 | 560 | 1.15 | 0.52 |
| 39 | Georgia profile | $22.38 | $46,550 | $33,000 | $61,510 | 12,700 | 2.60 | 1.17 |
| 40 | Vermont profile | $22.32 | $46,430 | $29,790 | $77,200 | ** | ** | ** |
| 41 | Kansas profile | $22.07 | $45,900 | $32,810 | $76,110 | 3,360 | 2.34 | 1.05 |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | $20.47 | $42,570 | $29,130 | $62,150 | 7,780 | 3.38 | 1.52 |
| 43 | New Mexico profile | $19.99 | $41,590 | $31,200 | $57,780 | 2,420 | 2.78 | 1.25 |
| 44 | Arkansas profile | $19.08 | $39,690 | $28,680 | $60,860 | 2,480 | 1.91 | 0.86 |
| 45 | Minnesota profile | $18.32 | $38,110 | $27,510 | $70,380 | 5,810 | 1.97 | 0.89 |
| 46 | North Carolina profile | $18.24 | $37,940 | $29,360 | $61,940 | 19,410 | 3.93 | 1.77 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $17.96 | $37,350 | $29,020 | $51,390 | 900 | 1.29 | 0.58 |
| 48 | Kentucky profile | $17.86 | $37,150 | $27,870 | $60,720 | 5,150 | 2.58 | 1.16 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $17.25 | $35,880 | $26,850 | $51,310 | 2,920 | 2.51 | 1.13 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $15.92 | $33,120 | $22,510 | $56,670 | 5,230 | 2.71 | 1.22 |
Part of Protective Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 33-2011 Firefighters.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 33-2011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 33-2011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.