How Much Do Firefighters Make in Georgia? 2026 Salary Data

Nationally, firefighters make $63,630 a year on average. See how much firefighters make in every state, ranked.

If you're considering a career in firefighting in Georgia, one of the first questions you probably have is about pay. How much do firefighters actually make in Georgia? Is it enough to support a family? And how does it compare to what firefighters earn in other states?

Right now, Georgia fire departments are advertising a median starting salary of $50,567 across 29 openings on FireJobs (updated Oct 7, 2026). For the full picture, we pair that with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025, published 2026), the official average pay for every firefighter in Georgia. Let's break it all down.

The average firefighter salary in Georgia is $47,170 per year (BLS, May 2025, published 2026), which is below the national average of $63,630. Georgia ranks #41 out of 50 states for firefighter pay. Entry level firefighters can expect to earn around $33,000, while the most experienced firefighters earn up to $61,510 annually.

What Departments Are Posting Now (FireJobs, as of October 2026)

The median advertised starting salary across 29 current firefighter postings in Georgia is $50,567, ranging from $37,920 to $66,926.

Recent postings:

Department	Position	Posted pay (yearly)	Listed
Butts County Fire Department	Paramedic/Firefighter	$56,380	Oct 5
Butts County Fire Department	AEMT/Firefighter	$51,077	Oct 5
Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services	Certified Firefighter EMT-I/EMT-A/Paramedic	$57,463 to $62,784	Oct 5
Macon Bibb County Fire Department	Fire Recruit	$45,718 to $48,946	Sep 28
Forest Park Fire Services	Firefighter/EMT	$38,985 to $65,494	Sep 28

See all current firefighter openings in Georgia on FireJobs

These are advertised starting salaries in current full time, entry level firefighter job postings, not averages of what firefighters earn. Posted pay often excludes overtime and incentives, and the BLS figures below include experienced firefighters, so the two numbers measure different things.

Live postings: FireJobs, updated Oct 7, 2026

How Much Do Firefighters Make in Georgia?

Here are the key numbers for firefighters in Georgia, straight from the BLS:

Metric	Georgia	National
Average (mean) annual salary	$47,170	$63,630
Median annual salary	$46,550	$59,280
Entry level (10th percentile)	$33,000	$34,910
Top earners (90th percentile)	$61,510	$101,040
Firefighters employed	12,700	,

Federal data: BLS, May 2025 (published 2026)

The median is often the more useful number. Half of Georgia firefighters earn more than $46,550 and half earn less. The average gets pulled around by a small number of very high earners in the biggest departments.

Firefighter Salary Breakdown in Georgia

Entry level: Around $33,000. This is what a probationary firefighter at a smaller or rural department can expect in year one.
Mid career: Around $46,550. Most firefighters with five to ten years on the job land in this range.
Experienced / senior: Up to $61,510 and beyond. Top step firefighters, engineers, and lieutenants at the largest departments, especially with overtime and paramedic pay, sit here.

Atlanta, along with the big county departments around it (Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Fulton), employs the majority of Georgia's career firefighters and pays the most. Savannah, Augusta, and Columbus are the other major departments. Rural south Georgia is largely volunteer.

Georgia vs. National Average

At $47,170, the average Georgia firefighter earns about $16,460 (26%) less than the national average of $63,630. That puts Georgia at #41 of 50 states. For comparison, California leads the country at $95,090 and the lowest paying state comes in at $36,610.

Georgia's cost of living is close to the national average overall, but metro Atlanta housing has risen quickly. Departments in the outer suburbs often offer the best combination of pay and housing costs.

Factors That Affect Firefighter Pay in Georgia

Department size and location. Big city departments pay the most. The largest employers are in Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Athens.
Union representation. Georgia is a right to work state and does not recognize collective bargaining for public safety, so pay is set by each city or county. Metro Atlanta departments compete with each other for recruits, which has pushed starting pay up.
Certifications. Paramedic certification is the single biggest pay bump for most firefighters, often adding $5,000 to $15,000 a year. Hazmat, technical rescue, and driver/operator certifications add more.
Overtime. Most departments run 24 hour shifts, and overtime, holiday pay, and call back pay can add 10% to 30% on top of base salary.
Rank. Promotion to engineer, lieutenant, captain, and chief officer each brings a meaningful raise. Chief officers in Georgia's large departments earn well into six figures.

How to Become a Firefighter in Georgia

The basic path is the same everywhere: meet the age and education requirements, pass a written test and the CPAT physical ability test, clear a background check and medical exam, and complete a fire academy. Many Georgia departments strongly prefer or require EMT certification, and paramedic certification makes you a much stronger candidate.

We have a full step by step guide: How to Become a Firefighter in Georgia.

Is Being a Firefighter in Georgia Worth It?

Pay is only part of the picture. Firefighters in Georgia typically get a defined benefit pension, employer paid health insurance, and a schedule that leaves plenty of days off for family or a second job. Against that you have to weigh the physical toll, the exposure to trauma, and the long term health risks that come with the job. For most people who want this career, the answer is still yes. Just go in with realistic numbers.

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