Firefighters in the Durham-Chapel Hill Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Firefighters pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a median of $38,350 per year ($18.44/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $59,280, the metro estimate is 35% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 1,220 firefighters are employed across the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA in SOC 33-2011.

The Durham-Chapel Hill pay distribution spans from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $58,000 at the 90th, a 1.9× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $35,480 and the 75th at $45,880, so half of Durham-Chapel Hill-based firefighters earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Durham-Chapel Hill, NC covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide NC estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.