The average salary for a firefighter in the United States is around $48,897 per year.
Avg Salary
Firefighters earn an average yearly salary of $48,897.
Wages typically start from $24,569 and go up to $97,316.
15% below national average Updated in 2019
Firefighter earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$46.79 per hour
$97,316 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$33.77 per hour
$70,242 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$23.51 per hour
$48,897 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$16.36 per hour
$34,038 per year
10th percentile
Starting level firefighter earnings begin at:
$11.81 per hour
$24,569 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Firefighter salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $81,240 |
| New Jersey | $76,380 |
| Washington | $75,200 |
| California | $74,700 |
| Oregon | $67,820 |
| Connecticut | $64,956 |
| Nevada | $64,920 |
| Maryland | $59,870 |
| Massachusetts | $59,330 |
| Colorado | $59,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,090 |
| Hawaii | $56,015 |
| Rhode Island | $55,900 |
| Illinois | $54,441 |
| Florida | $53,340 |
| Alaska | $52,460 |
| Texas | $51,240 |
| Montana | $50,400 |
| Nebraska | $50,060 |
| Indiana | $49,460 |
| Virginia | $49,110 |
| New Hampshire | $48,540 |
| Missouri | $47,750 |
| Delaware | $46,960 |
| Ohio | $45,910 |
| Michigan | $45,440 |
| Arizona | $44,190 |
| North Dakota | $44,130 |
| Iowa | $43,970 |
| Wyoming | $43,940 |
| Oklahoma | $41,970 |
| South Dakota | $40,470 |
| Alabama | $40,323 |
| Tennessee | $39,610 |
| Idaho | $38,961 |
| Georgia | $37,240 |
| Utah | $36,100 |
| New Mexico | $35,860 |
| Kansas | $35,522 |
| Kentucky | $35,512 |
| West Virginia | $35,340 |
| South Carolina | $35,230 |
| Wisconsin | $35,130 |
| Arkansas | $34,940 |
| Vermont | $34,730 |
| Maine | $34,210 |
| North Carolina | $32,590 |
| Minnesota | $30,560 |
| Mississippi | $28,690 |
| Louisiana | $28,200 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,460 |
How do firefighter salaries compare to similar careers?
Firefighters earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than funeral directors but more than substance abuse social workers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Funeral director salary | $54K |
| Interior designer salary | $53K |
| Probation officer salary | $55K |
| Clergy salary | $51K |
| Real estate agent salary | $49K |
| Firefighter salary | $49K |
| Social worker salary | $49K |
| Private detective salary | $51K |
| Embalmer salary | $48K |
| Substance abuse social worker salary | $47K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)