Firefighters Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for firefighterss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$95,090
- Washington$89,200
- New York$87,150
- New Jersey$85,810
- District of Columbia$79,550
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$36,610
- Mississippi$37,230
- West Virginia$40,100
- Kentucky$42,100
- North Carolina$43,060
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,090 | $85,120 | $46 | +49.4% | 31,470 |
| 2 | Washington | $89,200 | $94,520 | $43 | +40.2% | 7,560 |
| 3 | New York | $87,150 | $100,960 | $42 | +37% | 12,950 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $85,810 | $84,130 | $41 | +34.9% | 7,500 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $79,550 | $75,870 | $38 | +25% | 1,480 |
| 6 | Colorado | $78,380 | $74,170 | $38 | +23.2% | 6,510 |
| 7 | Illinois | $76,530 | $78,380 | $37 | +20.3% | 18,400 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $73,760 | $77,630 | $35 | +15.9% | 2,970 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $73,220 | $72,800 | $35 | +15.1% | 11,940 |
| 10 | Maryland | $72,550 | $73,810 | $35 | +14% | 5,340 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $71,340 | $73,460 | $34 | +12.1% | 5,020 |
| 12 | Oregon | $71,290 | $70,900 | $34 | +12% | 3,790 |
| 13 | Nevada | $70,510 | $66,570 | $34 | +10.8% | 2,640 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $67,480 | $67,380 | $32 | +6.1% | 1,620 |
| 15 | Indiana | $62,420 | $62,780 | $30 | -1.9% | 8,530 |
| 16 | Florida | $61,370 | $58,550 | $30 | -3.6% | 24,570 |
| 17 | Arizona | $60,850 | $59,280 | $29 | -4.4% | 7,500 |
| 18 | Texas | $60,390 | $60,180 | $29 | -5.1% | 28,170 |
| 19 | Alaska | $59,190 | $58,830 | $28 | -7% | 1,040 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $59,190 | $61,040 | $28 | -7% | 1,070 |
| 21 | Virginia | $58,240 | $58,670 | $28 | -8.5% | 11,160 |
| 22 | Ohio | $58,130 | $59,370 | $28 | -8.6% | 18,100 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $57,980 | $55,080 | $28 | -8.9% | 820 |
| 24 | Montana | $57,660 | $59,310 | $28 | -9.4% | 1,010 |
| 25 | Iowa | $57,240 | $55,810 | $28 | -10% | 2,170 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $56,800 | $58,090 | $27 | -10.7% | 680 |
| 27 | Michigan | $56,250 | $54,640 | $27 | -11.6% | 6,610 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $55,730 | $56,620 | $27 | -12.4% | 2,700 |
| 29 | Missouri | $55,240 | $49,080 | $27 | -13.2% | 6,580 |
| 30 | Idaho | $54,470 | $47,320 | $26 | -14.4% | 2,240 |
| 31 | Delaware | $53,420 | $46,710 | $26 | -16% | 560 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $52,280 | $49,710 | $25 | -17.8% | 4,150 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $51,590 | $49,300 | $25 | -18.9% | 7,020 |
| 34 | Utah | $51,270 | $48,310 | $25 | -19.4% | 2,870 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $51,180 | $48,160 | $25 | -19.6% | 610 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $50,710 | $46,850 | $24 | -20.3% | 8,120 |
| 37 | Maine | $50,230 | $48,290 | $24 | -21.1% | 2,480 |
| 38 | Alabama | $49,720 | $47,600 | $24 | -21.9% | 7,260 |
| 39 | Vermont | $49,570 | $46,430 | $24 | -22.1% | — |
| 40 | Kansas | $49,110 | $45,900 | $24 | -22.8% | 3,360 |
| 41 | Georgia | $47,170 | $46,550 | $23 | -25.9% | 12,700 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $45,170 | $38,110 | $22 | -29% | 5,810 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $43,900 | $42,570 | $21 | -31% | 7,780 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $43,380 | $39,690 | $21 | -31.8% | 2,480 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $43,180 | $41,590 | $21 | -32.1% | 2,420 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $43,060 | $37,940 | $21 | -32.3% | 19,410 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $42,100 | $37,150 | $20 | -33.8% | 5,150 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $40,100 | $37,350 | $19 | -37% | 900 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $37,230 | $35,880 | $18 | -41.5% | 2,920 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $36,610 | $33,120 | $18 | -42.5% | 5,230 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 483 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $152,100 | $134,270 | 1,330 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $113,700 | $110,590 | 3,450 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $106,420 | $92,410 | 14,960 |
| 4 | Bellingham, WA | $101,130 | $93,600 | 320 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,090 | $100,450 | 3,760 |
| 6 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $99,930 | $89,590 | 300 |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $98,050 | $108,860 | 7,200 |
| 8 | Vallejo, CA | $95,950 | $99,530 | 330 |
| 9 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $95,910 | $90,020 | 290 |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $94,080 | $97,420 | 2,590 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing firefighterss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $89,990 | $93,060 | 70 |
| 2 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $89,990 | $93,060 | 70 |
| 3 | Nuclear Electric Power Generation | $89,990 | $93,060 | 70 |
| 4 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $89,990 | $93,060 | 70 |
| 5 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $81,190 | $73,390 | 120 |
| 6 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $81,190 | $73,390 | 120 |
| 7 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $77,480 | $68,680 | 440 |
| 8 | Chemical Manufacturing | $74,910 | $74,420 | 50 |
| 9 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $74,910 | $74,420 | 50 |
| 10 | Educational Services | $72,760 | $67,630 | 620 |
| 11 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $72,760 | $67,630 | 620 |
| 12 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $72,460 | $74,050 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do firefighters make in the U.S.?
The median firefighters salary in the United States is $59,280 per year (mean $63,630), and about 80% earn between $34,910 and $101,040.
How much do firefighters make per hour?
Roughly $31 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $63,630 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays firefighters the most?
California has the highest average pay for firefighters at $95,090 per year (median $85,120).
What is the job outlook for firefighters?
Employment is projected to change +3.4% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 27,100 openings per year.