How much does a firefighter make?
Median yearly pay in the United States: half earn more and half earn less. That is $28.50 an hour or $4,940 a month.
- Hourly
- $28.50
- Average (mean)
- $63,630
- Jobs
- 345,990
| Percentile | Yearly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,910 | $16.78 | |
| 25th | $44,490 | $21.39 | |
| Median | $59,280 | $28.50 | |
| 75th | $77,250 | $37.14 | |
| 90th | $101,000 | $48.58 |
By state
Median yearly pay.
| New York | $101,000 |
| Washington | $94,520 |
| California | $85,120 |
| New Jersey | $84,130 |
| Illinois | $78,380 |
| Connecticut | $77,630 |
| District of Columbia | $75,870 |
| Colorado | $74,170 |
| Maryland | $73,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,460 |
| Massachusetts | $72,800 |
| Oregon | $70,900 |
| Rhode Island | $67,380 |
| Nevada | $66,570 |
| Indiana | $62,780 |
| Nebraska | $61,040 |
| Texas | $60,180 |
| Ohio | $59,370 |
| Montana | $59,310 |
| Arizona | $59,280 |
| Alaska | $58,830 |
| Virginia | $58,670 |
| Florida | $58,550 |
| Wyoming | $58,090 |
| New Hampshire | $56,620 |
| Iowa | $55,810 |
| North Dakota | $55,080 |
| Michigan | $54,640 |
| Oklahoma | $49,710 |
| Tennessee | $49,300 |
| Missouri | $49,080 |
| Utah | $48,310 |
| Maine | $48,290 |
| South Dakota | $48,160 |
| Alabama | $47,600 |
| Idaho | $47,320 |
| Wisconsin | $46,850 |
| Delaware | $46,710 |
| Georgia | $46,550 |
| Vermont | $46,430 |
| Kansas | $45,900 |
| South Carolina | $42,570 |
| New Mexico | $41,590 |
| Arkansas | $39,690 |
| Minnesota | $38,110 |
| North Carolina | $37,940 |
| West Virginia | $37,350 |
| Kentucky | $37,150 |
| Mississippi | $35,880 |
| Louisiana | $33,120 |
Highest paying cities
Metro areas, median yearly pay.
| San Jose, CA | $152,100 |
| San Francisco, CA | $113,700 |
| New York, NY | $106,400 |
| Bellingham, WA | $101,100 |
| Seattle, WA | $101,100 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $99,930 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $98,050 |
| Vallejo, CA | $95,950 |
| Bremerton, WA | $95,910 |
| Sacramento, CA | $94,080 |
| Olympia, WA | $90,050 |
| Rochester, NY | $89,120 |
| Trenton, NJ | $88,090 |
| Denver, CO | $87,980 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $87,400 |
In other countries
Firefighter belongs to the international group "Fire-fighters".
Compare pay in 140 countriesSimilar jobs
Frequently asked questions
How much does a firefighter make an hour?
The median hourly pay is $28.50 ($59,280 a year).
How much does a firefighter make a month?
About $4,940 a month before tax, based on a median of $59,280 a year.
How much does a firefighter make starting out?
The lowest-paid 10% make $34,910 or less a year ($16.78 an hour); the top 10% make $101,000 or more.
Which state pays firefighters the most?
New York, with a median of $101,000 a year, followed by Washington ($94,520) and California ($85,120).
Which city pays firefighters the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with a median of $152,100 a year.
How many firefighters are there in the United States?
About 345,990 people work as firefighters.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.