How much do firefighters make in New York City? The average firefighter salary in the New York City metro area is $92,410 a year (median $106,420), which is above the national average of $63,630 and above the New York average of $87,150. Entry-level firefighters earn around $56,390, and the most experienced earn up to $115,380. The data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey covering May 2025, the most recent available.
Firefighter Salary in New York City: The Numbers
| Metric | New York City metro | New York | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average (mean) | $92,410 | $87,150 | $63,630 |
| Median | $106,420 | — | $59,280 |
| Entry level (10th percentile) | $56,390 | — | $34,910 |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | $115,380 | — | $101,040 |
| Firefighters employed in metro | 14,960 | — | — |
The metro area figure covers the whole New York City 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 mid-career firefighter takes home in base pay.
Who Hires Firefighters in New York City
FDNY employs about 11,000 firefighters and hires through a civil service exam held every few years, with top-step pay well above $100,000 including overtime and holiday pay. Yonkers, Nassau and Suffolk county departments, and northern New Jersey cities round out the metro.
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 New York City, 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. New York City's cost of living is the highest in the country, and most FDNY members live on Long Island, in Westchester, or in New Jersey.
How to Get Hired in New York City
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 New York, check the full New York salary breakdown, and use the eligibility checker before you apply.
