Firefighter Salary by State

How much do firefighters make? Compare salaries across all 50 states with official BLS data.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024 — SOC 33-2011

$56,310Avg Salary$53,420Median330,910Firefighters

Highest Paying

$82,550

California

National Average

$56,310

Median: $53,420

Lowest Paying

$35,360

Mississippi

All 50 States + DC

#				25th – 75th		vs Avg
1	California	$82,550	$78,870	$60,520 – $101,870	32,040	+47%
2	New Jersey	$80,790	$78,480	$64,750 – $94,930	10,190	+43%
3	New York	$77,280	$75,110	$61,830 – $90,750	17,620	+37%
4	District of Columbia	$73,150	$70,480	$56,870 – $87,610	1,640	+30%
5	Washington	$72,830	$70,140	$56,530 – $87,240	7,230	+29%
6	Hawaii	$67,860	$65,230	$53,060 – $80,450	1,890	+21%
7	Massachusetts	$66,240	$63,780	$51,460 – $79,120	12,010	+18%
8	Connecticut	$65,700	$63,550	$51,220 – $78,140	3,840	+17%
9	Colorado	$63,660	$60,980	$48,940 – $76,230	5,610	+13%
10	Oregon	$63,470	$61,150	$49,230 – $75,810	3,780	+13%
11	Nevada	$63,140	$60,530	$48,720 – $75,670	3,060	+12%
12	Maryland	$60,870	$58,350	$47,040 – $72,680	7,180	+8%
13	Illinois	$60,210	$57,510	$45,660 – $73,260	16,190	+7%
14	Rhode Island	$58,320	$55,870	$44,960 – $69,780	1,580	+4%
15	Alaska	$58,250	$55,160	$45,230 – $68,790	1,030	+3%
16	Texas	$56,240	$53,810	$43,270 – $67,180	30,550	0%
17	Virginia	$56,080	$53,650	$43,180 – $66,960	10,460	0%
18	Minnesota	$55,930	$53,640	$43,260 – $66,870	4,150	-1%
19	Arizona	$55,230	$52,960	$42,710 – $66,230	6,390	-2%
20	Florida	$53,820	$51,450	$41,360 – $64,230	24,080	-4%
21	Michigan	$52,640	$50,270	$40,380 – $63,180	9,710	-7%
22	Pennsylvania	$52,460	$50,120	$40,370 – $62,700	11,730	-7%
23	Ohio	$52,370	$50,080	$40,310 – $62,620	14,610	-7%
24	Delaware	$52,280	$49,780	$40,050 – $62,590	950	-7%
25	Wisconsin	$50,650	$48,370	$39,020 – $60,460	5,620	-10%
26	Nebraska	$50,240	$48,070	$38,960 – $59,650	2,120	-11%
27	Utah	$49,580	$47,350	$38,190 – $59,110	2,530	-12%
28	New Hampshire	$49,280	$47,010	$37,870 – $58,770	1,630	-12%
29	Indiana	$48,150	$45,820	$37,010 – $57,300	8,150	-14%
30	Iowa	$46,810	$44,580	$36,040 – $55,790	3,080	-17%
31	North Dakota	$46,570	$44,250	$35,710 – $55,520	780	-17%
32	Wyoming	$46,170	$43,780	$35,350 – $54,990	710	-18%
33	Missouri	$46,150	$43,730	$35,240 – $54,950	7,280	-18%
34	New Mexico	$45,350	$42,870	$34,560 – $54,120	2,580	-19%
35	Vermont	$44,760	$42,370	$34,210 – $53,340	560	-21%
36	Kansas	$44,490	$42,130	$34,020 – $52,950	3,910	-21%
37	Idaho	$44,380	$41,960	$34,010 – $52,760	1,580	-21%
38	Georgia	$44,270	$41,680	$33,410 – $52,850	11,690	-21%
39	North Carolina	$43,170	$40,680	$32,850 – $51,420	11,370	-23%
40	Tennessee	$42,890	$40,380	$32,570 – $51,200	8,690	-24%
41	Oklahoma	$42,780	$40,360	$32,590 – $50,980	5,110	-24%
42	Montana	$42,570	$40,210	$32,510 – $50,760	1,210	-24%
43	Maine	$42,030	$39,670	$32,140 – $50,140	1,420	-25%
44	Alabama	$41,920	$38,970	$31,870 – $49,870	7,690	-26%
45	South Carolina	$41,880	$39,370	$31,720 – $50,070	6,380	-26%
46	Louisiana	$41,570	$38,720	$30,940 – $49,870	5,630	-26%
47	South Dakota	$41,270	$39,050	$31,560 – $49,170	960	-27%
48	Kentucky	$39,760	$37,140	$30,010 – $47,390	4,560	-29%
49	West Virginia	$38,450	$35,970	$29,050 – $45,780	1,860	-32%
50	Arkansas	$36,150	$33,480	$27,300 – $42,570	4,760	-36%
51	Mississippi	$35,360	$32,750	$26,520 – $41,870	3,790	-37%

Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. SOC 33-2011 (Firefighters). Wages are annual mean and median salaries.

Ready to Earn a Firefighter Salary?

The hiring process has 7 steps — written exam, CPAT, oral interview, background check, polygraph, medical exam, and academy. Our hiring guides walk you through every one.

Browse Hiring Guides — $19.99

Understanding Firefighter Pay

Firefighter salaries vary significantly by state, driven by cost of living, union representation, department size, and local tax revenue. The national average salary for firefighters is $56,310 per year, with a median of $53,420.

The highest-paying states (California at $82,550) often have higher costs of living, so raw salary numbers don't tell the whole story. Always consider local housing costs, benefits packages, retirement plans (many fire departments offer defined-benefit pensions), and overtime opportunities.

Federal firefighters (GS-0081 series) earn base pay plus locality adjustments, wildfire premium pay, and overtime. Total compensation can exceed base salary by 30-50% for active wildland firefighters. The Federal Firefighter Hiring Guide covers GS pay scales, locality tables, and total compensation estimates.

Beyond base salary, firefighters typically receive excellent benefits: health insurance, pension (often 50-80% of final salary after 20-25 years), paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and 24/48 or 48/96 shift schedules that allow for secondary employment.

Federal Hiring Playbooks

80% of Applications Get Rejected Before a Human Reads Them.

Wrong GS series. Missing certifications. A 1-page resume instead of the required 4–6 pages. These guides fix that. Step-by-step application strategy, resume templates, certification checklists, interview prep & a 30-day action plan — for 11 fire service careers. Written to federal standards, so they more than cover municipal and state hiring too.