How Much Do Firefighters Make in New Hampshire? 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 New Hampshire, one of the first questions you probably have is about pay. How much do firefighters actually make in New Hampshire? Is it enough to support a family? And how does it compare to what firefighters earn in other states?

Right now, there are 3 New Hampshire firefighter openings with a listed yearly salary on FireJobs (updated Oct 7, 2026); the newest, from Exeter Fire Department, starts at $61,390. 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 New Hampshire. Let's break it all down.

The average firefighter salary in New Hampshire is $55,730 per year (BLS, May 2025, published 2026), which is below the national average of $63,630. New Hampshire ranks #28 out of 50 states for firefighter pay. Entry level firefighters can expect to earn around $35,450, while the most experienced firefighters earn up to $78,570 annually.

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

There are 3 current firefighter postings in New Hampshire with a listed yearly salary, ranging from $51,429 to $61,390. We only publish a median with 8 or more postings, because a median of a handful of listings can swing a lot from week to week.

Department	Position	Posted pay (yearly)	Listed
Exeter Fire Department	Firefighter/Paramedic or Advanced EMT	$61,390 to $67,529	Sep 28
Pease Air National Guard	Firefighter	$51,429 to $66,857	Sep 20
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard	Firefighter	$51,429 to $66,857	Sep 20

See all current firefighter openings in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire?

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

Metric	New Hampshire	National
Average (mean) annual salary	$55,730	$63,630
Median annual salary	$56,620	$59,280
Entry level (10th percentile)	$35,450	$34,910
Top earners (90th percentile)	$78,570	$101,040
Firefighters employed	2,700	,

Federal data: BLS, May 2025 (published 2026)

The median is often the more useful number. Half of New Hampshire firefighters earn more than $56,620 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 New Hampshire

Entry level: Around $35,450. This is what a probationary firefighter at a smaller or rural department can expect in year one.
Mid career: Around $56,620. Most firefighters with five to ten years on the job land in this range.
Experienced / senior: Up to $78,570 and beyond. Top step firefighters, engineers, and lieutenants at the largest departments, especially with overtime and paramedic pay, sit here.

Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Portsmouth run the state's largest career departments. Much of New Hampshire is call or combination departments, and many career firefighters commute from the Massachusetts border towns.

New Hampshire vs. National Average

At $55,730, the average New Hampshire firefighter earns about $7,900 (12%) less than the national average of $63,630. That puts New Hampshire at #28 of 50 states. For comparison, California leads the country at $95,090 and the lowest paying state comes in at $36,610.

New Hampshire has no income or sales tax, but high property taxes and rising housing costs in the southern tier. The pay is competitive for New England outside of Massachusetts.

Factors That Affect Firefighter Pay in New Hampshire

Department size and location. Big city departments pay the most. The largest employers are in Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Dover, Portsmouth.
Union representation. New Hampshire's career firefighters are unionized under the state Public Employee Labor Relations Act with negotiated contracts.
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 New Hampshire's large departments earn well into six figures.

How to Become a Firefighter in New Hampshire

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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire.

Is Being a Firefighter in New Hampshire Worth It?

Pay is only part of the picture. Firefighters in New Hampshire 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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