Firefighter earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level firefighter earnings begin at:

$38.49 per hour

$80,050 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level firefighter earnings begin at:

$37.33 per hour

$77,640 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level firefighter earnings begin at:

$36.09 per hour

$75,060 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level firefighter earnings begin at:

$28.78 per hour

$59,860 per year

10th percentile

Starting level firefighter earnings begin at:

$23.08 per hour

$48,000 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Firefighter salary by state

State Name Average Salary
New Jersey $79,910
Washington $78,620
New York $78,520
California $77,640
Connecticut $75,060
Oregon $65,120
Colorado $63,830
Nebraska $63,290
Rhode Island $63,080
Hawaii $61,130
Massachusetts $61,130
Pennsylvania $61,130
Alaska $60,320
Illinois $59,860
Maryland $59,860
Nevada $59,280
Texas $52,420
Montana $51,220
Indiana $50,700
Florida $50,690
Ohio $50,690
New Hampshire $50,280
North Dakota $50,130
Iowa $48,800
Virginia $48,000
Arizona $47,520
Oklahoma $47,520
Vermont $47,520
Guam $47,440
South Dakota $47,020
Michigan $46,930
Missouri $46,590
Wyoming $46,590
Maine $46,210
Alabama $40,330
Wisconsin $40,130
Delaware $40,090
Idaho $39,800
Utah $39,540
Kansas $39,490
Georgia $39,210
Tennessee $39,210
South Carolina $37,750
Arkansas $36,750
New Mexico $36,750
West Virginia $36,450
North Carolina $34,470
Minnesota $32,240
Mississippi $31,530
Kentucky $30,940
Louisiana $29,500
Puerto Rico $27,890

How do firefighter salaries compare to similar careers?

Firefighters earn about the same as related careers in Connecticut. On average, they make less than arbitrators but more than social workers.

Career Median Salary
Arbitrator salary $90K
Fire inspector salary $79K
Police officer salary $78K
American sign language interpreter salary $63K
Family social worker salary $74K
Firefighter salary $75K
Private detective salary $64K
Travel agent salary $47K
Funeral director salary $61K
Social worker salary $64K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)