Firefighters pay in the United States
What this work is
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.
Where the money actually goes furthest
New York pays the most both before and after cost of living — $100,960, worth $93,550 once local prices are counted.
Pay by state
51 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.
Adjusted for what things cost in that state.
| State | Hourly | Annual | Worth locally | After state tax | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $48.54/hr | $100,960 | $93,550 | $95,950 | 12,950 |
| Washington | $45.44/hr | $94,520 | $88,328 | $94,520 | 7,560 |
| Illinois | $37.68/hr | $78,380 | $78,411 | $74,637 | 18,400 |
| New Jersey | $40.45/hr | $84,130 | $77,318 | $80,897 | 7,500 |
| California | $40.92/hr | $85,120 | $76,878 | $81,176 | 31,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $35.32/hr | $73,460 | $75,289 | $71,204 | 5,020 |
| Connecticut | $37.32/hr | $77,630 | $74,925 | $74,110 | 2,970 |
| Colorado | $35.66/hr | $74,170 | $71,974 | $71,638 | 6,510 |
| Maryland | $35.49/hr | $73,810 | $70,322 | $70,484 | 5,340 |
| District of Columbia | $36.48/hr | $75,870 | $69,035 | $72,262 | 1,480 |
| Massachusetts | $35.00/hr | $72,800 | $68,835 | $69,160 | 11,940 |
| Oregon | $34.09/hr | $70,900 | $68,595 | $65,237 | 3,790 |
| Nebraska | $29.35/hr | $61,040 | $67,746 | $58,775 | 1,070 |
| Indiana | $30.18/hr | $62,780 | $67,266 | $60,926 | 8,530 |
| Nevada | $32.01/hr | $66,570 | $66,583 | $66,570 | 2,640 |
| Rhode Island | $32.39/hr | $67,380 | $65,877 | $65,248 | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $28.54/hr | $59,370 | $63,996 | $58,453 | 18,100 |
| Iowa | $26.83/hr | $55,810 | $63,593 | $54,244 | 2,170 |
| Wyoming | $27.93/hr | $58,090 | $62,671 | $58,090 | 680 |
| Montana | $28.52/hr | $59,310 | $62,662 | $56,925 | 1,010 |
| Texas | $28.94/hr | $60,180 | $62,002 | $60,180 | 28,170 |
| North Dakota | $26.48/hr | $55,080 | $61,915 | $55,080 | 820 |
| Arizona | $28.50/hr | $59,280 | $58,879 | $58,163 | 7,500 |
| Virginia | $28.21/hr | $58,670 | $58,031 | $56,042 | 11,160 |
| Alaska | $28.28/hr | $58,830 | $57,473 | $58,830 | 1,040 |
| Michigan | $26.27/hr | $54,640 | $56,786 | $52,555 | 6,610 |
| Florida | $28.15/hr | $58,550 | $56,619 | $58,550 | 24,570 |
| Oklahoma | $23.90/hr | $49,710 | $56,591 | $47,838 | 4,150 |
| South Dakota | $23.15/hr | $48,160 | $54,362 | $48,160 | 610 |
| New Hampshire | $27.22/hr | $56,620 | $54,353 | $56,620 | 2,700 |
| Missouri | $23.60/hr | $49,080 | $54,040 | $47,630 | 6,580 |
| Tennessee | $23.70/hr | $49,300 | $53,662 | $49,300 | 7,020 |
| Alabama | $22.89/hr | $47,600 | $53,591 | $45,410 | 7,260 |
| Kansas | $22.07/hr | $45,900 | $50,960 | $43,627 | 3,360 |
| Wisconsin | $22.53/hr | $46,850 | $49,787 | $45,464 | 8,120 |
| Maine | $23.22/hr | $48,290 | $49,757 | $46,270 | 2,480 |
| Idaho | $22.75/hr | $47,320 | $49,554 | $45,585 | 2,240 |
| Utah | $23.23/hr | $48,310 | $48,867 | $46,111 | 2,870 |
| Georgia | $22.38/hr | $46,550 | $48,343 | $44,756 | 12,700 |
| Vermont | $22.32/hr | $46,430 | $47,396 | $45,109 | Not published |
| Delaware | $22.46/hr | $46,710 | $46,798 | $44,684 | 560 |
| Arkansas | $19.08/hr | $39,690 | $45,652 | $38,318 | 2,480 |
| South Carolina | $20.47/hr | $42,570 | $45,408 | $41,513 | 7,780 |
| New Mexico | $19.99/hr | $41,590 | $45,103 | $40,651 | 2,420 |
| West Virginia | $17.96/hr | $37,350 | $41,731 | $36,272 | 900 |
| Mississippi | $17.25/hr | $35,880 | $41,265 | $34,402 | 2,920 |
| Kentucky | $17.86/hr | $37,150 | $41,204 | $35,790 | 5,150 |
| North Carolina | $18.24/hr | $37,940 | $40,220 | $36,869 | 19,410 |
| Minnesota | $18.32/hr | $38,110 | $38,643 | $36,850 | 5,810 |
| Louisiana | $15.92/hr | $33,120 | $37,546 | $32,501 | 5,230 |
| Puerto Rico | $17.85/hr | $37,120 | Not published | Not published | 1,780 |
National median for comparison: $59,280. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.
$28.50/hr an hour, national median
Across the states
25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state
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