How much do firefighters make in Houston? The average firefighter salary in the Houston metro area is $60,280 a year (median $59,120), which is below the national average of $63,630 and below the Texas average of $60,390. Entry level firefighters earn around $44,600, and the most experienced earn up to $72,970. The data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey covering May 2025, the most recent available.
Firefighter Salary in Houston: The Numbers
| Metric | Houston metro | Texas | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average (mean) | $60,280 | $60,390 | $63,630 |
| Median | $59,120 | n/a | $59,280 |
| Entry level (10th percentile) | $44,600 | n/a | $34,910 |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | $72,970 | n/a | $101,040 |
| Firefighters employed in metro | 5,780 | n/a | n/a |
The metro area figure covers the whole Houston region, not just the city department, so it blends big city pay with the suburban and county departments around it. The median is usually the better guide to what a midcareer firefighter takes home in base pay.
Who Hires Firefighters in Houston
Houston Fire Department is the largest in Texas with about 4,000 members, and the suburban departments in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties, including Cy Fair, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands, pay competitively and hire often.
What Changes the Number
- Overtime. Most departments in the metro run 24 hour shifts, and overtime, holiday, and call back pay commonly add 10 to 30 percent to base salary. None of that is in the BLS figure.
- Paramedic pay. Paramedic certification is the single biggest raise available to a firefighter in Houston, typically $5,000 to $15,000 a year.
- Rank. Engineer, lieutenant, captain, and chief officer each bring a step up; chief officers at the largest departments in the metro earn well into six figures.
- Cost of living. Houston has no state income tax and housing that is still affordable for a big city, which makes the pay go further than in most metros this size.
How to Get Hired in Houston
The path is the same as anywhere: meet the age and education requirements, pass a written exam and the CPAT, clear a background and medical, and complete the academy. Most departments in the metro require or strongly prefer EMT certification. Start with how to become a firefighter in Texas, check the full Texas salary breakdown, and use the eligibility checker before you apply.