Firefighters pay in the U.S.
$63,630avg. a year
$30.59 an hour · 345,990 employed
Firefighters in the U.S. earn an average of $63,630 a year and a median of $59,280. Pay is highest in California ($95,090) and lowest in Louisiana ($36,610).
$59,280Median pay
$30.59Average hourly
+13%Avg. pay since 2020
345,990Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for firefighters
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
131,470 jobs
California
$95,090
$45.72 an hour
27,560 jobs
Washington
$89,200
$42.88 an hour
312,950 jobs
New York
$87,150
$41.90 an hour
47,500 jobs
New Jersey
$85,810
$41.26 an hour
51,480 jobs
District of Columbia
$79,550
$38.25 an hour
66,510 jobs
Colorado
$78,380
$37.68 an hour
718,400 jobs
Illinois
$76,530
$36.79 an hour
82,970 jobs
Connecticut
$73,760
$35.46 an hour
911,940 jobs
Massachusetts
$73,220
$35.20 an hour
105,340 jobs
Maryland
$72,550
$34.88 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Firefighters pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $50k$50k–$57k$57k–$71k$71k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $199,490 | $95.91 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $134,270 | $64.55 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $110,590 | $53.17 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $108,860 | $52.34 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $100,450 | $48.30 |
| Vallejo, CA | $99,530 | $47.85 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $97,420 | $46.84 |
| Bellingham, WA | $93,600 | $45.00 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Firefighters pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $49,720 | $47,600 | 7,260 |
| Alaska | $59,190 | $58,830 | 1,040 |
| Arizona | $60,850 | $59,280 | 7,500 |
| Arkansas | $43,380 | $39,690 | 2,480 |
| California | $95,090 | $85,120 | 31,470 |
| Colorado | $78,380 | $74,170 | 6,510 |
| Connecticut | $73,760 | $77,630 | 2,970 |
| Delaware | $53,420 | $46,710 | 560 |
| District of Columbia | $79,550 | $75,870 | 1,480 |
| Florida | $61,370 | $58,550 | 24,570 |
| Georgia | $47,170 | $46,550 | 12,700 |
| Idaho | $54,470 | $47,320 | 2,240 |
| Illinois | $76,530 | $78,380 | 18,400 |
| Indiana | $62,420 | $62,780 | 8,530 |
| Iowa | $57,240 | $55,810 | 2,170 |
| Kansas | $49,110 | $45,900 | 3,360 |
| Kentucky | $42,100 | $37,150 | 5,150 |
| Louisiana | $36,610 | $33,120 | 5,230 |
| Maine | $50,230 | $48,290 | 2,480 |
| Maryland | $72,550 | $73,810 | 5,340 |
| Massachusetts | $73,220 | $72,800 | 11,940 |
| Michigan | $56,250 | $54,640 | 6,610 |
| Minnesota | $45,170 | $38,110 | 5,810 |
| Mississippi | $37,230 | $35,880 | 2,920 |
| Missouri | $55,240 | $49,080 | 6,580 |
| Montana | $57,660 | $59,310 | 1,010 |
| Nebraska | $59,190 | $61,040 | 1,070 |
| Nevada | $70,510 | $66,570 | 2,640 |
| New Hampshire | $55,730 | $56,620 | 2,700 |
| New Jersey | $85,810 | $84,130 | 7,500 |
| New Mexico | $43,180 | $41,590 | 2,420 |
| New York | $87,150 | $100,960 | 12,950 |
| North Carolina | $43,060 | $37,940 | 19,410 |
| North Dakota | $57,980 | $55,080 | 820 |
| Ohio | $58,130 | $59,370 | 18,100 |
| Oklahoma | $52,280 | $49,710 | 4,150 |
| Oregon | $71,290 | $70,900 | 3,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,340 | $73,460 | 5,020 |
| Rhode Island | $67,480 | $67,380 | 1,620 |
| South Carolina | $43,900 | $42,570 | 7,780 |
| South Dakota | $51,180 | $48,160 | 610 |
| Tennessee | $51,590 | $49,300 | 7,020 |
| Texas | $60,390 | $60,180 | 28,170 |
| Utah | $51,270 | $48,310 | 2,870 |
| Vermont | $49,570 | $46,430 | – |
| Virginia | $58,240 | $58,670 | 11,160 |
| Washington | $89,200 | $94,520 | 7,560 |
| West Virginia | $40,100 | $37,350 | 900 |
| Wisconsin | $50,710 | $46,850 | 8,120 |
| Wyoming | $56,800 | $58,090 | 680 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$92,410
14,960 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$80,110
14,560 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$67,220
8,780 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$75,400
8,510 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$70,910
7,610 jobs$108,860
7,200 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$76,350
6,600 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$50,410
6,350 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do firefighters make?
The average is $63,630 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $59,280 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $30.59, and the median is $28.50 an hour.
Which state pays firefighters the most?
California, with an average of $95,090 a year. The best-paying metro area is Bakersfield-Delano, CA at $199,490.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $34,910 a year, and the top 10% earn over $101,040.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 33-2011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.