Firefighter earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level firefighter earnings begin at:

$38.14 per hour

$79,340 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level firefighter earnings begin at:

$30.69 per hour

$63,830 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level firefighter earnings begin at:

$24.38 per hour

$50,700 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level firefighter earnings begin at:

$22.10 per hour

$45,970 per year

10th percentile

Starting level firefighter earnings begin at:

$14.96 per hour

$31,130 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 7% less than similar careers in Indiana. On average, they make less than social workers but more than arbitrators.

Career Median Salary
Social worker salary $72K
Funeral director salary $55K
Police officer salary $62K
Fire inspector salary $52K
Firefighter salary $51K
Probation officer salary $49K
Postal service clerk salary $52K
Postal service worker salary $52K
Arbitrator salary $48K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)