33 Series · SOC 33-2011
Firefighters Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $59,280
- Median / year
- -0.4%
- 2024→2025
- $101,040
- Top 10% earn
- +3.4%
- Growth '24–'34
- 345,990
- Estimated US jobs
Firefighters earn a median of $59,280 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $59,280, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $34,910 (10th percentile) to $101,040 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 345,990 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is New York ($100,960).
The pay verdict
Firefighters earn a median of $59,280, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 47% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Protective Service, it ranks #11 of 24 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 3.4% by 2034.
- $59,280
- Median annual wage
- Top 53%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #11 of 24
- in Protective Service
- 2.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New York at $100,960. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Firefighters moved from $50,850 in May 2019 to $59,280 in May 2025 (+16.6%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Firefighters sits -7.9 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Firefighters (SOC 33-2011) has a national median of $59,280 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $34,910 to $101,040, and the published mean is $63,630. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 345,990 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 51 state or territory areas and 475 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $59,530 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $59,280 in May 2025, a fall of $250 (-0.4%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3.4% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 27,100 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as long-term on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) publish an occupation-specific rate that produces a WageDex safety grade of B, with a fatality rate of 5.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New York pays the highest state median at $100,960, which is +70% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $152,100. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$59,280
per year
Median Hourly
$28.50/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$63,630
average
Employment
345,990
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Firefighters pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$59,280 Bottom 47% higher than 47% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 (this entry) | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$59,280 · 47th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 33-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Firefighters; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Security Guards: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.4%, Median annual wage $38020
- Police and Sheriff's…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $76210
- Correctional Officer…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -7.8%, Median annual wage $58940
- Firefighters: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $59280
- Lifeguards, Ski Patr…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.8%, Median annual wage $33580
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.9%, Median annual wage $106040
- Detectives and Crimi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.7%, Median annual wage $93790
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $93530
- Crossing Guards and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.6%, Median annual wage $38100
- Protective Service W…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.5%, Median annual wage $42540
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.7%, Median annual wage $55940
- School Bus Monitors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.7%, Median annual wage $35100
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.8%, Median annual wage $77970
- Transportation Secur…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6%, Median annual wage $66770
- Private Detectives a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6%, Median annual wage $51220
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.6%, Median annual wage $76400
- Bailiffs: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.2%, Median annual wage $56600
- Fire Inspectors and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.8%, Median annual wage $75920
- Animal Control Workers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.9%, Median annual wage $45660
- Gambling Surveillanc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.3%, Median annual wage $43370
- Parking Enforcement …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.5%, Median annual wage $46730
- Fish and Game Wardens: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6%, Median annual wage $74060
- Transit and Railroad…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3%, Median annual wage $90230
- Forest Fire Inspecto…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 14.6%, Median annual wage $56870
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+3.4%
About as fast as average
Annual Openings
27,100
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+11,800
344,900 (2024) → 356,700 (2034)
Typical Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
On-the-Job Training
Long-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
WageDex derived grade from BLS CFOI/SOII 2023, not an official BLS rating
Fatality Rate
5.5/100K
Injury Rate
5/100
Danger Index
22.8/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Firefighters roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
- ▸ Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
- ▸ Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
- ▸ Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
- ▸ Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
- ▸ Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters.
- ▸ Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
- ▸ Inspect fire sites after flames have been extinguished to ensure that there is no further danger.
- ▸ Position and climb ladders to gain access to upper levels of buildings, or to rescue individuals from burning structures.
- ▸ Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Firefighters pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $46,870 |
| 2016 | $48,030 |
| 2017 | $49,080 |
| 2018 | $49,620 |
| 2019 | $50,850 |
| 2020 | $52,500 |
| 2021 | $50,700 |
| 2022 | $51,680 |
| 2023 | $57,120 |
| 2024 | $59,530 |
| 2025 | $59,280 |
2015 median
$46,870
2025 median
$59,280
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$8,430 (+16.6%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+2.6%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $46,870 | First banked release | 318,790 |
| May 2016 | $48,030 | +2.5% | 315,910 |
| May 2017 | $49,080 | +2.2% | 319,860 |
| May 2018 | $49,620 | +1.1% | 321,570 |
| May 2019 | $50,850 | Classification break | 324,620 |
| May 2020 | $52,500 | +3.2% | 311,350 |
| May 2021 | $50,700 | -3.4% | 317,310 |
| May 2022 | $51,680 | +1.9% | 321,450 |
| May 2023 | $57,120 | +10.5% | 315,460 |
| May 2024 | $59,530 | +4.2% | 332,240 |
| May 2025 | $59,280 | -0.4% | 345,990 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $46,870 in May 2015 to $59,280 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.6% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 324,620 in May 2019 to 345,990 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 51 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $100,960 | +70% above national |
| 2 | Washington | $94,520 | +59% above national |
| 3 | California | $85,120 | +44% above national |
| 4 | New Jersey | $84,130 | +42% above national |
| 5 | Illinois | $78,380 | +32% above national |
| 6 | Connecticut | $77,630 | +31% above national |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $75,870 | +28% above national |
| 8 | Colorado | $74,170 | +25% above national |
| 9 | Maryland | $73,810 | +25% above national |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $73,460 | +24% above national |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $72,800 | +23% above national |
| 12 | Oregon | $70,900 | +20% above national |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $67,380 | +14% above national |
| 14 | Nevada | $66,570 | +12% above national |
| 15 | Indiana | $62,780 | +6% above national |
| 16 | Nebraska | $61,040 | +3% above national |
| 17 | Texas | $60,180 | +2% above national |
| 18 | Ohio | $59,370 | same as national |
| 19 | Montana | $59,310 | same as national |
| 20 | Arizona | $59,280 | same as national |
| 21 | Alaska | $58,830 | 1% below national |
| 22 | Virginia | $58,670 | 1% below national |
| 23 | Florida | $58,550 | 1% below national |
| 24 | Wyoming | $58,090 | 2% below national |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $56,620 | 4% below national |
| 26 | Iowa | $55,810 | 6% below national |
| 27 | North Dakota | $55,080 | 7% below national |
| 28 | Michigan | $54,640 | 8% below national |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $49,710 | 16% below national |
| 30 | Tennessee | $49,300 | 17% below national |
| 31 | Missouri | $49,080 | 17% below national |
| 32 | Utah | $48,310 | 19% below national |
| 33 | Maine | $48,290 | 19% below national |
| 34 | South Dakota | $48,160 | 19% below national |
| 35 | Alabama | $47,600 | 20% below national |
| 36 | Idaho | $47,320 | 20% below national |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $46,850 | 21% below national |
| 38 | Delaware | $46,710 | 21% below national |
| 39 | Georgia | $46,550 | 21% below national |
| 40 | Vermont | $46,430 | 22% below national |
| 41 | Kansas | $45,900 | 23% below national |
| 42 | South Carolina | $42,570 | 28% below national |
| 43 | New Mexico | $41,590 | 30% below national |
| 44 | Arkansas | $39,690 | 33% below national |
| 45 | Minnesota | $38,110 | 36% below national |
| 46 | North Carolina | $37,940 | 36% below national |
| 47 | West Virginia | $37,350 | 37% below national |
| 48 | Kentucky | $37,150 | 37% below national |
| 49 | Puerto Rico | $37,120 | 37% below national |
| 50 | Mississippi | $35,880 | 39% below national |
| 51 | Louisiana | $33,120 | 44% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 347 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $152,100 | +157% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $113,700 | +92% above national |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $106,420 | +80% above national |
| 4 | Bellingham, WA | $101,130 | +71% above national |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,090 | +71% above national |
| 6 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $99,930 | +69% above national |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $98,050 | +65% above national |
| 8 | Vallejo, CA | $95,950 | +62% above national |
| 9 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $95,910 | +62% above national |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $94,080 | +59% above national |
| 11 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $90,050 | +52% above national |
| 12 | Rochester, NY | $89,120 | +50% above national |
| 13 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $88,090 | +49% above national |
| 14 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $87,980 | +48% above national |
| 15 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $87,400 | +47% above national |
| 16 | Ames, IA | $86,010 | +45% above national |
| 17 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $85,170 | +44% above national |
| 18 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $83,310 | +41% above national |
| 19 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $82,820 | +40% above national |
| 20 | Corvallis, OR | $82,700 | +40% above national |
| 21 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $82,250 | +39% above national |
| 22 | Binghamton, NY | $81,810 | +38% above national |
| 23 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $81,680 | +38% above national |
| 24 | Reno, NV | $81,360 | +37% above national |
| 25 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $81,100 | +37% above national |
| 26 | Salinas, CA | $81,070 | +37% above national |
| 27 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $80,560 | +36% above national |
| 28 | Yuba City, CA | $80,360 | +36% above national |
| 29 | Erie, PA | $80,280 | +35% above national |
| 30 | Napa, CA | $80,260 | +35% above national |
| 31 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $80,090 | +35% above national |
| 32 | Sheboygan, WI | $79,620 | +34% above national |
| 33 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $79,540 | +34% above national |
| 34 | Boulder, CO | $79,390 | +34% above national |
| 35 | New Haven, CT | $79,380 | +34% above national |
| 36 | Carson City, NV | $79,170 | +34% above national |
| 37 | Fresno, CA | $79,160 | +34% above national |
| 38 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $79,160 | +34% above national |
| 39 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $78,940 | +33% above national |
| 40 | Abilene, TX | $78,380 | +32% above national |
| 41 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $78,050 | +32% above national |
| 42 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $77,630 | +31% above national |
| 43 | Bozeman, MT | $77,430 | +31% above national |
| 44 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $77,400 | +31% above national |
| 45 | Modesto, CA | $77,370 | +31% above national |
| 46 | Lubbock, TX | $77,290 | +30% above national |
| 47 | Rockford, IL | $77,150 | +30% above national |
| 48 | Missoula, MT | $76,620 | +29% above national |
| 49 | Boise City, ID | $76,280 | +29% above national |
| 50 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $76,120 | +28% above national |
| 51 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $75,990 | +28% above national |
| 52 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $75,910 | +28% above national |
| 53 | Fort Wayne, IN | $75,860 | +28% above national |
| 54 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $75,710 | +28% above national |
| 55 | Utica-Rome, NY | $75,060 | +27% above national |
| 56 | Barnstable Town, MA | $74,870 | +26% above national |
| 57 | Reading, PA | $74,760 | +26% above national |
| 58 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $74,470 | +26% above national |
| 59 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $73,990 | +25% above national |
| 60 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $73,810 | +25% above national |
| 61 | Peoria, IL | $73,670 | +24% above national |
| 62 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $73,020 | +23% above national |
| 63 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $72,760 | +23% above national |
| 64 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $72,410 | +22% above national |
| 65 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $72,280 | +22% above national |
| 66 | Pittsburgh, PA | $72,230 | +22% above national |
| 67 | Chico, CA | $71,830 | +21% above national |
| 68 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $70,900 | +20% above national |
| 69 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $70,840 | +20% above national |
| 70 | Grand Junction, CO | $70,190 | +18% above national |
| 71 | Bloomington, IL | $69,270 | +17% above national |
| 72 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $68,970 | +16% above national |
| 73 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $68,480 | +16% above national |
| 74 | Billings, MT | $68,100 | +15% above national |
| 75 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | $68,060 | +15% above national |
| 76 | York-Hanover, PA | $67,570 | +14% above national |
| 77 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $66,980 | +13% above national |
| 78 | Evansville, IN | $66,840 | +13% above national |
| 79 | Springfield, MA | $66,720 | +13% above national |
| 80 | Worcester, MA | $66,310 | +12% above national |
| 81 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $66,150 | +12% above national |
| 82 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $66,000 | +11% above national |
| 83 | Springfield, IL | $65,330 | +10% above national |
| 84 | Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $65,230 | +10% above national |
| 85 | Redding, CA | $65,170 | +10% above national |
| 86 | Visalia, CA | $65,170 | +10% above national |
| 87 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $64,980 | +10% above national |
| 88 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $64,900 | +9% above national |
| 89 | Salem, OR | $64,900 | +9% above national |
| 90 | Anchorage, AK | $64,810 | +9% above national |
| 91 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $64,540 | +9% above national |
| 92 | Merced, CA | $63,940 | +8% above national |
| 93 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $63,760 | +8% above national |
| 94 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $63,590 | +7% above national |
| 95 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $63,360 | +7% above national |
| 96 | Medford, OR | $63,130 | +6% above national |
| 97 | Colorado Springs, CO | $63,110 | +6% above national |
| 98 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $62,910 | +6% above national |
| 99 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $62,850 | +6% above national |
| 100 | Muncie, IN | $62,780 | +6% above national |
| 101 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $62,760 | +6% above national |
| 102 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $62,730 | +6% above national |
| 103 | Cleveland, OH | $62,720 | +6% above national |
| 104 | Waco, TX | $62,650 | +6% above national |
| 105 | Greeley, CO | $62,640 | +6% above national |
| 106 | Decatur, IL | $62,430 | +5% above national |
| 107 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $62,190 | +5% above national |
| 108 | Bend, OR | $62,140 | +5% above national |
| 109 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $62,120 | +5% above national |
| 110 | Yakima, WA | $62,120 | +5% above national |
| 111 | Columbus, OH | $61,780 | +4% above national |
| 112 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $61,780 | +4% above national |
| 113 | Pueblo, CO | $61,560 | +4% above national |
| 114 | Oklahoma City, OK | $61,460 | +4% above national |
| 115 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $61,370 | +4% above national |
| 116 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $61,190 | +3% above national |
| 117 | Akron, OH | $61,140 | +3% above national |
| 118 | Albany, OR | $61,060 | +3% above national |
| 119 | Omaha, NE-IA | $61,040 | +3% above national |
| 120 | Idaho Falls, ID | $60,930 | +3% above national |
| 121 | Richmond, VA | $60,790 | +3% above national |
| 122 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $60,770 | +3% above national |
| 123 | Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $60,700 | +2% above national |
| 124 | Sherman-Denison, TX | $60,650 | +2% above national |
| 125 | Toledo, OH | $60,590 | +2% above national |
| 126 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $60,410 | +2% above national |
| 127 | Lebanon, PA | $60,320 | +2% above national |
| 128 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $60,080 | +1% above national |
| 129 | Great Falls, MT | $60,080 | +1% above national |
| 130 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $60,030 | +1% above national |
| 131 | Lima, OH | $60,020 | +1% above national |
| 132 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $60,000 | +1% above national |
| 133 | Kankakee, IL | $59,850 | +1% above national |
| 134 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $59,850 | +1% above national |
| 135 | Lincoln, NE | $59,760 | +1% above national |
| 136 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $59,660 | +1% above national |
| 137 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $59,280 | same as national |
| 138 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $59,270 | same as national |
| 139 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $59,150 | same as national |
| 140 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $59,120 | same as national |
| 141 | Laredo, TX | $59,100 | same as national |
| 142 | Chambersburg, PA | $59,050 | same as national |
| 143 | Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $59,010 | same as national |
| 144 | Jacksonville, FL | $58,940 | 1% below national |
| 145 | Lewiston, ID-WA | $58,920 | 1% below national |
| 146 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $58,830 | 1% below national |
| 147 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $58,820 | 1% below national |
| 148 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $58,570 | 1% below national |
| 149 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $58,560 | 1% below national |
| 150 | Syracuse, NY | $58,470 | 1% below national |
| 151 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $58,400 | 1% below national |
| 152 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $57,660 | 3% below national |
| 153 | Topeka, KS | $57,570 | 3% below national |
| 154 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $57,540 | 3% below national |
| 155 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $57,400 | 3% below national |
| 156 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $56,940 | 4% below national |
| 157 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $56,910 | 4% below national |
| 158 | Pittsfield, MA | $56,640 | 4% below national |
| 159 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $56,620 | 4% below national |
| 160 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $56,450 | 5% below national |
| 161 | Madison, WI | $56,430 | 5% below national |
| 162 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $56,260 | 5% below national |
| 163 | Vineland, NJ | $55,780 | 6% below national |
| 164 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $55,220 | 7% below national |
| 165 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $54,990 | 7% below national |
| 166 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $54,950 | 7% below national |
| 167 | Lancaster, PA | $54,890 | 7% below national |
| 168 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $54,850 | 7% below national |
| 169 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $54,810 | 8% below national |
| 170 | Terre Haute, IN | $54,460 | 8% below national |
| 171 | Helena, MT | $54,260 | 8% below national |
| 172 | Yuma, AZ | $54,220 | 9% below national |
| 173 | Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $53,530 | 10% below national |
| 174 | Manhattan, KS | $53,290 | 10% below national |
| 175 | Fargo, ND-MN | $53,130 | 10% below national |
| 176 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $52,930 | 11% below national |
| 177 | Midland, MI | $52,800 | 11% below national |
| 178 | Battle Creek, MI | $52,200 | 12% below national |
| 179 | Lawrence, KS | $51,930 | 12% below national |
| 180 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $51,520 | 13% below national |
| 181 | Birmingham, AL | $51,050 | 14% below national |
| 182 | Johnstown, PA | $51,050 | 14% below national |
| 183 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $50,840 | 14% below national |
| 184 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $50,840 | 14% below national |
| 185 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $50,740 | 14% below national |
| 186 | Iowa City, IA | $50,600 | 15% below national |
| 187 | Niles, MI | $50,600 | 15% below national |
| 188 | Savannah, GA | $50,470 | 15% below national |
| 189 | Flagstaff, AZ | $50,380 | 15% below national |
| 190 | Victoria, TX | $50,350 | 15% below national |
| 191 | El Paso, TX | $50,300 | 15% below national |
| 192 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $50,210 | 15% below national |
| 193 | Texarkana, TX-AR | $49,940 | 16% below national |
| 194 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $49,760 | 16% below national |
| 195 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $49,690 | 16% below national |
| 196 | Ogden, UT | $49,490 | 17% below national |
| 197 | Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $49,410 | 17% below national |
| 198 | Gainesville, FL | $49,380 | 17% below national |
| 199 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $49,320 | 17% below national |
| 200 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $49,300 | 17% below national |
| 201 | Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $49,240 | 17% below national |
| 202 | Hinesville, GA | $49,210 | 17% below national |
| 203 | Minot, ND | $49,060 | 17% below national |
| 204 | Montgomery, AL | $48,780 | 18% below national |
| 205 | Columbus, GA-AL | $48,770 | 18% below national |
| 206 | Corpus Christi, TX | $48,700 | 18% below national |
| 207 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $48,560 | 18% below national |
| 208 | Ann Arbor, MI | $48,460 | 18% below national |
| 209 | Amarillo, TX | $48,420 | 18% below national |
| 210 | Rapid City, SD | $48,160 | 19% below national |
| 211 | Dalton, GA | $48,110 | 19% below national |
| 212 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $48,110 | 19% below national |
| 213 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $48,070 | 19% below national |
| 214 | Bangor, ME | $48,020 | 19% below national |
| 215 | Huntsville, AL | $48,010 | 19% below national |
| 216 | Green Bay, WI | $47,980 | 19% below national |
| 217 | Tucson, AZ | $47,960 | 19% below national |
| 218 | Jacksonville, NC | $47,870 | 19% below national |
| 219 | San Angelo, TX | $47,840 | 19% below national |
| 220 | Jackson, MI | $47,690 | 20% below national |
| 221 | Tulsa, OK | $47,600 | 20% below national |
| 222 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $47,540 | 20% below national |
| 223 | Bismarck, ND | $47,440 | 20% below national |
| 224 | Homosassa Springs, FL | $47,340 | 20% below national |
| 225 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $47,300 | 20% below national |
| 226 | Sandusky, OH | $47,270 | 20% below national |
| 227 | Knoxville, TN | $47,160 | 20% below national |
| 228 | Jefferson City, MO | $47,030 | 21% below national |
| 229 | Traverse City, MI | $46,990 | 21% below national |
| 230 | Gainesville, GA | $46,870 | 21% below national |
| 231 | Charlottesville, VA | $46,860 | 21% below national |
| 232 | Kenosha, WI | $46,850 | 21% below national |
| 233 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $46,830 | 21% below national |
| 234 | Wausau, WI | $46,820 | 21% below national |
| 235 | Appleton, WI | $46,800 | 21% below national |
| 236 | Mobile, AL | $46,770 | 21% below national |
| 237 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $46,600 | 21% below national |
| 238 | Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $46,580 | 21% below national |
| 239 | Albany, GA | $46,540 | 21% below national |
| 240 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $46,260 | 22% below national |
| 241 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $46,220 | 22% below national |
| 242 | Rocky Mount, NC | $46,210 | 22% below national |
| 243 | Punta Gorda, FL | $46,170 | 22% below national |
| 244 | El Centro, CA | $46,080 | 22% below national |
| 245 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $46,060 | 22% below national |
| 246 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $46,010 | 22% below national |
| 247 | Mansfield, OH | $45,930 | 23% below national |
| 248 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $45,890 | 23% below national |
| 249 | Longview, TX | $45,820 | 23% below national |
| 250 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $45,770 | 23% below national |
| 251 | Wichita Falls, TX | $45,710 | 23% below national |
| 252 | Macon-Bibb County, GA | $45,660 | 23% below national |
| 253 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $45,640 | 23% below national |
| 254 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,520 | 23% below national |
| 255 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $45,480 | 23% below national |
| 256 | Lynchburg, VA | $45,450 | 23% below national |
| 257 | Grants Pass, OR | $45,180 | 24% below national |
| 258 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $45,160 | 24% below national |
| 259 | Fond du Lac, WI | $45,110 | 24% below national |
| 260 | Springfield, MO | $44,990 | 24% below national |
| 261 | Rome, GA | $44,780 | 24% below national |
| 262 | Monroe, MI | $44,730 | 25% below national |
| 263 | Saginaw, MI | $44,550 | 25% below national |
| 264 | Logan, UT-ID | $44,440 | 25% below national |
| 265 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $44,400 | 25% below national |
| 266 | Pocatello, ID | $44,250 | 25% below national |
| 267 | St. George, UT | $44,140 | 26% below national |
| 268 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $44,110 | 26% below national |
| 269 | Harrisonburg, VA | $43,900 | 26% below national |
| 270 | Sumter, SC | $43,890 | 26% below national |
| 271 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $43,850 | 26% below national |
| 272 | Tyler, TX | $43,740 | 26% below national |
| 273 | Sebring, FL | $43,660 | 26% below national |
| 274 | Decatur, AL | $43,650 | 26% below national |
| 275 | Columbus, IN | $43,510 | 27% below national |
| 276 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $43,420 | 27% below national |
| 277 | Las Cruces, NM | $42,820 | 28% below national |
| 278 | Albuquerque, NM | $42,420 | 28% below national |
| 279 | Wichita, KS | $41,900 | 29% below national |
| 280 | Beckley, WV | $41,770 | 30% below national |
| 281 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $41,760 | 30% below national |
| 282 | Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $41,580 | 30% below national |
| 283 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $41,140 | 31% below national |
| 284 | Johnson City, TN | $40,720 | 31% below national |
| 285 | Warner Robins, GA | $40,330 | 32% below national |
| 286 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $40,170 | 32% below national |
| 287 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $39,980 | 33% below national |
| 288 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | $39,940 | 33% below national |
| 289 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $39,350 | 34% below national |
| 290 | Roanoke, VA | $39,310 | 34% below national |
| 291 | Flint, MI | $39,150 | 34% below national |
| 292 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $38,900 | 34% below national |
| 293 | Joplin, MO-KS | $38,850 | 34% below national |
| 294 | Charleston, WV | $38,780 | 35% below national |
| 295 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $38,700 | 35% below national |
| 296 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $38,570 | 35% below national |
| 297 | Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $38,380 | 35% below national |
| 298 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $38,350 | 35% below national |
| 299 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $38,220 | 36% below national |
| 300 | Alexandria, LA | $38,010 | 36% below national |
| 301 | Bloomington, IN | $37,620 | 37% below national |
| 302 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $37,620 | 37% below national |
| 303 | Asheville, NC | $37,450 | 37% below national |
| 304 | Duluth, MN-WI | $37,410 | 37% below national |
| 305 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $37,250 | 37% below national |
| 306 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $37,150 | 37% below national |
| 307 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $37,120 | 37% below national |
| 308 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $37,110 | 37% below national |
| 309 | Columbia, SC | $36,960 | 38% below national |
| 310 | Twin Falls, ID | $36,940 | 38% below national |
| 311 | Fayetteville, NC | $36,820 | 38% below national |
| 312 | Gadsden, AL | $36,700 | 38% below national |
| 313 | Dothan, AL | $36,610 | 38% below national |
| 314 | Burlington, NC | $36,520 | 38% below national |
| 315 | Lawton, OK | $36,500 | 38% below national |
| 316 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $36,490 | 38% below national |
| 317 | Spartanburg, SC | $36,360 | 39% below national |
| 318 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $36,340 | 39% below national |
| 319 | Jackson, TN | $36,140 | 39% below national |
| 320 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $36,060 | 39% below national |
| 321 | Morristown, TN | $36,040 | 39% below national |
| 322 | Eau Claire, WI | $36,030 | 39% below national |
| 323 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $35,990 | 39% below national |
| 324 | Winston-Salem, NC | $35,730 | 40% below national |
| 325 | Wilmington, NC | $35,580 | 40% below national |
| 326 | Goldsboro, NC | $35,500 | 40% below national |
| 327 | Bowling Green, KY | $35,240 | 41% below national |
| 328 | Rochester, MN | $35,200 | 41% below national |
| 329 | Jackson, MS | $34,970 | 41% below national |
| 330 | Jonesboro, AR | $34,630 | 42% below national |
| 331 | Valdosta, GA | $34,600 | 42% below national |
| 332 | Greenville, NC | $34,430 | 42% below national |
| 333 | Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $34,200 | 42% below national |
| 334 | Mankato, MN | $34,190 | 42% below national |
| 335 | Elizabethtown, KY | $34,030 | 43% below national |
| 336 | St. Cloud, MN | $33,820 | 43% below national |
| 337 | Baton Rouge, LA | $33,260 | 44% below national |
| 338 | Florence, SC | $32,570 | 45% below national |
| 339 | Hot Springs, AR | $31,440 | 47% below national |
| 340 | Santa Fe, NM | $31,200 | 47% below national |
| 341 | Hattiesburg, MS | $30,830 | 48% below national |
| 342 | Lafayette, LA | $30,100 | 49% below national |
| 343 | Lake Charles, LA | $29,550 | 50% below national |
| 344 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $29,500 | 50% below national |
| 345 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $28,360 | 52% below national |
| 346 | Hammond, LA | $28,330 | 52% below national |
| 347 | Monroe, LA | $22,800 | 62% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 33 (Protective Service Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Animal Control Workers
SOC 33-9011
Bailiffs
SOC 33-3011
Correctional Officers and Jailers
SOC 33-3012
Crossing Guards and Flaggers
SOC 33-9091
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
SOC 33-3021
Showing 5 of 23 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Protective Service Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($59,280 here) and reported employment (345,990 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with this data
How to use Firefighters pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $77,250/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New York leads at $100,960/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.