Firefighters in the United States make $63,630 a year on average, and the median firefighter makes $59,280, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025 (published 2026). That is $30.59 an hour on average, across 345,990 firefighters.
Pay depends heavily on where you work. The average firefighter in California makes $95,090, while the average in Louisiana is $36,610, a gap of $58,480. Below you can find your state with the calculator, see every state in one table, and see what the biggest city departments actually pay new hires in 2026.
Firefighter Pay at a Glance
| National figure (BLS, May 2025) | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Average (mean) | $63,630 |
| Median | $59,280 |
| Entry level (10th percentile) | $34,910 |
| 25th percentile | $44,490 |
| 75th percentile | $77,250 |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | $101,040 |
| Average hourly wage | $30.59 |
| Firefighters employed | 345,990 |
The median is usually the better guide to a typical paycheck. Half of all firefighters earn more than $59,280 and half earn less. The average is pulled up by large, well paid departments on the West Coast and in the Northeast.
Firefighter Salary Calculator
Pick your state and experience level to see what firefighters there earn, using the same May 2025 BLS data.
The calculator maps experience to the BLS pay percentiles for your state: entry level to the 10th percentile, 1 to 4 years to the 25th, 5 to 10 years to the median, 10 to 20 years to the 75th, and 20 years or officer rank to the 90th. It shows base pay only. BLS has no firefighter wage estimate for Hawaii, so it is not in the list.
Firefighter Salary by State (2026)
Every state and the District of Columbia, ranked by average annual pay. Click a state for its full breakdown, including the biggest employers and how that state compares nationally.
| Rank | State | Average (mean) | Median | Entry (10th pct.) | Top (90th pct.) | Firefighters employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,090 | $85,120 | $52,390 | $136,150 | 31,470 |
| 2 | Washington | $89,200 | $94,520 | $47,640 | $123,980 | 7,560 |
| 3 | New York | $87,150 | $100,960 | $56,390 | $106,440 | 12,950 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $85,810 | $84,130 | $47,920 | $123,940 | 7,500 |
| 5 | Washington, D.C. | $79,550 | $75,870 | $61,050 | $99,760 | 1,480 |
| 6 | Colorado | $78,380 | $74,170 | $47,000 | $114,170 | 6,510 |
| 7 | Illinois | $76,530 | $78,380 | $38,900 | $106,060 | 18,400 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $73,760 | $77,630 | $51,320 | $85,500 | 2,970 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $73,220 | $72,800 | $49,730 | $98,130 | 11,940 |
| 10 | Maryland | $72,550 | $73,810 | $48,030 | $98,770 | 5,340 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $71,340 | $73,460 | $48,620 | $89,190 | 5,020 |
| 12 | Oregon | $71,290 | $70,900 | $38,800 | $104,070 | 3,790 |
| 13 | Nevada | $70,510 | $66,570 | $47,600 | $101,450 | 2,640 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $67,480 | $67,380 | $56,110 | $76,620 | 1,620 |
| 15 | Indiana | $62,420 | $62,780 | $38,460 | $81,890 | 8,530 |
| 16 | Florida | $61,370 | $58,550 | $37,260 | $93,310 | 24,570 |
| 17 | Arizona | $60,850 | $59,280 | $36,700 | $88,220 | 7,500 |
| 18 | Texas | $60,390 | $60,180 | $40,020 | $77,170 | 28,170 |
| 19 | Alaska | $59,190 | $58,830 | $35,520 | $82,360 | 1,040 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $59,190 | $61,040 | $46,660 | $69,460 | 1,070 |
| 21 | Virginia | $58,240 | $58,670 | $38,310 | $77,310 | 11,160 |
| 22 | Ohio | $58,130 | $59,370 | $34,420 | $84,010 | 18,100 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $57,980 | $55,080 | $39,700 | $77,530 | 820 |
| 24 | Montana | $57,660 | $59,310 | $32,810 | $76,620 | 1,010 |
| 25 | Iowa | $57,240 | $55,810 | $32,240 | $87,720 | 2,170 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $56,800 | $58,090 | $39,550 | $78,760 | 680 |
| 27 | Michigan | $56,250 | $54,640 | $37,190 | $78,550 | 6,610 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $55,730 | $56,620 | $35,450 | $78,570 | 2,700 |
| 29 | Missouri | $55,240 | $49,080 | $31,140 | $79,360 | 6,580 |
| 30 | Idaho | $54,470 | $47,320 | $30,280 | $81,190 | 2,240 |
| 31 | Delaware | $53,420 | $46,710 | $41,960 | $72,160 | 560 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $52,280 | $49,710 | $31,620 | $77,560 | 4,150 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $51,590 | $49,300 | $33,910 | $70,460 | 7,020 |
| 34 | Utah | $51,270 | $48,310 | $27,660 | $80,320 | 2,870 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $51,180 | $48,160 | $39,240 | $61,420 | 610 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $50,710 | $46,850 | $29,390 | $77,050 | 8,120 |
| 37 | Maine | $50,230 | $48,290 | $35,740 | $63,740 | 2,480 |
| 38 | Alabama | $49,720 | $47,600 | $29,770 | $76,190 | 7,260 |
| 39 | Vermont | $49,570 | $46,430 | $29,790 | $77,200 | not published |
| 40 | Kansas | $49,110 | $45,900 | $32,810 | $76,110 | 3,360 |
| 41 | Georgia | $47,170 | $46,550 | $33,000 | $61,510 | 12,700 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $45,170 | $38,110 | $27,510 | $70,380 | 5,810 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $43,900 | $42,570 | $29,130 | $62,150 | 7,780 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $43,380 | $39,690 | $28,680 | $60,860 | 2,480 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $43,180 | $41,590 | $31,200 | $57,780 | 2,420 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $43,060 | $37,940 | $29,360 | $61,940 | 19,410 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $42,100 | $37,150 | $27,870 | $60,720 | 5,150 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $40,100 | $37,350 | $29,020 | $51,390 | 900 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $37,230 | $35,880 | $26,850 | $51,310 | 2,920 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $36,610 | $33,120 | $22,510 | $56,670 | 5,230 |
| Hawaii | BLS does not publish firefighter wages for Hawaii | |||||
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates for Firefighters (SOC code 332011), pulled from the BLS public data API. Volunteer firefighters are not counted, and fire chiefs and other supervisors are counted in separate occupations.
Highest and Lowest Paying States
- Highest average pay: California ($95,090), Washington ($89,200), New York ($87,150), New Jersey ($85,810), Washington, D.C. ($79,550).
- Lowest average pay: Louisiana ($36,610), Mississippi ($37,230), West Virginia ($40,100), Kentucky ($42,100), North Carolina ($43,060).
- Most firefighters: California (31,470), Texas (28,170), Florida (24,570), North Carolina (19,410), Illinois (18,400).
The top of the table is mostly West Coast and Northeast states with large city departments and collective bargaining. The bottom is mostly the Southeast and rural states, where more of the work is covered by volunteer and smaller combination departments.
How Much Do Firefighters Make in Big Cities?
Metro areas usually pay more than their states because the biggest, best funded departments are there. Here is firefighter pay in the 20 large metro areas we track, ranked by average pay. Each one links to a full city breakdown.
| Rank | Metro area | Average (mean) | Median | Top (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $108,860 | $98,050 | $150,760 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $100,450 | $101,090 | $124,000 |
| 3 | New York City, NY | $92,410 | $106,420 | $115,380 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $88,260 | $87,980 | $122,750 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $80,110 | $82,820 | $112,930 |
| 6 | Miami, FL | $76,350 | $75,710 | $116,390 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $75,400 | $73,990 | $118,540 |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | $74,540 | $70,900 | $99,130 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $74,200 | $78,050 | $89,190 |
| 10 | Washington, D.C. | $70,910 | $66,980 | $98,770 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $67,910 | $61,780 | $91,590 |
| 12 | Dallas, TX | $67,220 | $64,900 | $92,700 |
| 13 | Las Vegas, NV | $64,850 | $59,280 | $78,130 |
| 14 | Detroit, MI | $61,940 | $62,730 | $84,390 |
| 15 | San Antonio, TX | $61,670 | $63,360 | $71,070 |
| 16 | Houston, TX | $60,280 | $59,120 | $72,970 |
| 17 | Kansas City, MO | $59,560 | $60,770 | $84,220 |
| 18 | Oklahoma City, OK | $58,460 | $61,460 | $79,810 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $50,410 | $47,300 | $68,680 |
| 20 | Charlotte, NC | $47,070 | $38,700 | $79,960 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 metropolitan area estimates for Firefighters. A metro area includes the suburbs and every fire department in it, not just the city department.
What Departments Actually Pay
The BLS numbers above are averages across every career firefighter in a state, from brand new recruits to 25 year veterans. They are the best way to compare states, but they are not what any single department will offer you. Two things to know:
- Each department sets its own pay. Cities and fire districts publish pay plans or union contracts with a starting step and a top step. You usually move up one step a year until you reach the top, and promotions to engineer, lieutenant, and captain come with their own pay ranges.
- The BLS average leaves out overtime. The survey counts base pay but excludes overtime pay and shift differentials (BLS OEWS technical notes). Firefighters on 24 hour shifts often work overtime, so real earnings at many departments run higher than the BLS figures.
Here is what some of the largest city fire departments pay, from their own official pay documents as collected on FireJobs firefighter salaries:
| Department | Entry pay | Top step | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDNY | $54,122 | $105,146 | city job posting, June 2025 |
| Los Angeles Fire Department | $87,883 | $128,286 | city job posting, March 2026 |
| Chicago Fire Department | $74,526 | $111,252 | pay plan, January 2026 |
| San Antonio Fire Department | $72,774 | $85,136 | union contract, October 2026 |
| Dallas Fire Department | $81,232 | $102,304 | pay plan, January 2026 |
| San Jose Fire Department | $107,994 | $164,944 | pay plan, June 2026 |
| Austin Fire Department | $67,999 | $114,792 | union contract, October 2026 |
| Columbus Division of Fire | $69,976 | $112,164 | union contract, November 2025 |
| Charlotte Fire Department | $62,381 | $92,168 | city budget, July 2026 |
| San Francisco Fire Department | $100,464 | $154,960 | pay plan, July 2026 |
| Seattle Fire Department | $102,048 | not listed | recruiting page, October 2026 |
| Denver Fire Department | $72,583 | $111,667 | recruiting page, July 2026 |
| Nashville Fire Department | $62,714 | $90,847 | pay plan, July 2026 |
| Las Vegas Fire and Rescue | $59,937 | $99,940 | recruiting page, July 2025 |
Entry pay is the first step on the department's own schedule; some departments pay a lower recruit rate during the academy. Click a department for the source document, its effective date, and starting pay over time. Figures as shown on FireJobs on October 21, 2026.
More big departments on FireJobs: Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, Boston, Los Angeles County, Atlanta, Miami, Clark County (Las Vegas). To look up any department, see firefighter salaries by state and department on FireJobs.
What Changes a Firefighter's Pay
- Location. The state you work in matters more than anything else, and within a state, big cities usually pay the most.
- Years of service. Most departments use step scales, so pay rises every year for the first several years. In Dallas, for example, pay runs from $81,232 at entry to $102,304 at the top step (January 2026 pay plan).
- Rank. Engineers, lieutenants, captains, and chiefs each earn more than firefighters.
- Certifications. Many departments add incentive pay for paramedic certification and specialty skills. Check the department's pay plan for the exact amounts.
- Overtime. Public fire departments can use a work period of up to 28 days and owe overtime after 212 hours in that period (U.S. Department of Labor).
Firefighter Salary FAQ
How much do firefighters make?
The average firefighter in the United States makes $63,630 a year and the median firefighter makes $59,280, according to the BLS OEWS survey for May 2025. The average hourly wage is $30.59. Most firefighters earn between $34,910 (10th percentile) and $101,040 (90th percentile).
How much do firefighters make starting out?
Nationally, the 10th percentile, a fair stand in for entry level pay, is $34,910 a year (BLS, May 2025). Big city departments start much higher. Dallas Fire Department pays new firefighters $81,232 under its January 2026 pay plan, and San Jose starts at $107,994 under its June 2026 pay plan. Smaller and rural departments usually pay less.
Do firefighters get paid overtime?
Usually, but on a different clock than most workers. Under section 7(k) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, a public fire department can set a work period of up to 28 days and only owes overtime after 212 hours in that period, instead of after 40 hours a week (U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet 8). Overtime is not counted in the BLS wage figures on this page, so many firefighters earn more than these numbers show.
Which states pay firefighters the most?
California pays the most, with an average of $95,090 a year, followed by Washington ($89,200) and New York ($87,150). Louisiana pays the least at $36,610 (BLS, May 2025).
Which city pays firefighters the most?
Among the 20 big metro areas we track, Los Angeles pays the most, with an average of $108,860 a year, followed by Seattle ($100,450) and New York City ($92,410) (BLS, May 2025, metro area estimates).
Do firefighters get pensions?
Most career firefighters work for a city, county, or fire district, and most of those jobs come with a traditional pension. In March 2026, 86 percent of state and local government workers had access to a defined benefit plan, and 75 percent took part in one (BLS National Compensation Survey, released September 2026). Volunteer firefighters usually do not get a pension, though some states run small length of service award programs.
Use This Data
Journalists, unions, recruiters, and academies are welcome to cite the numbers on this page. Please link to this page as the source. We update it each year when BLS releases a new survey.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (published 2026), Firefighters, national, state, and metropolitan area data.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS technical notes, what the wage figures include and exclude.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet 8: Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Employees Under the FLSA.
- Department pay plans, union contracts, and recruiting pages as collected on FireJobs, read October 21, 2026.
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