Firefighter Salary by State
How much firefighters earn in each state. SOC code 33-2011 (Firefighters). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$59,280Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$63,630Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$28.50Mean $30.59/hour
- U.S. employment345,990Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateCalifornia$95,090 mean
- States with data50 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do firefighters make?
Nationally, firefighters earn a median of $59,280 a year and a mean of $63,630 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $44,490 (25th percentile) and $77,250 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $34,910 and the top 10% more than $101,040.
That median is 1.2× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $95,090 in California (highest) to $36,610 in Louisiana (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, New York comes out on top at $93,568 in national-average dollars.
BLS did not publish wage estimates for this occupation in: Hawaii.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,910 | $2,909 | $16.79 |
| 25th | $44,490 | $3,708 | $21.39 |
| Median | $59,280 | $4,940 | $28.50 |
| 75th | $77,250 | $6,438 | $37.14 |
| 90th | $101,040 | $8,420 | $48.58 |
| Mean | $63,630 | $5,302 | $30.59 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Firefighter salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $95,090 | $85,120 | $40.92 | $52,390 | $136,150 | $76,893 | 31,470 |
| Washington | $89,200 | $94,520 | $45.44 | $47,640 | $123,980 | $88,336 | 7,560 |
| New York | $87,150 | $100,960 | $48.54 | $56,390 | $106,440 | $93,568 | 12,950 |
| New Jersey | $85,810 | $84,130 | $40.45 | $47,920 | $123,940 | $77,325 | 7,500 |
| District of Columbia | $79,550 | $75,870 | $36.48 | $61,050 | $99,760 | $69,035 | 1,480 |
| Colorado | $78,380 | $74,170 | $35.66 | $47,000 | $114,170 | $71,940 | 6,510 |
| Illinois | $76,530 | $78,380 | $37.68 | $38,900 | $106,060 | $78,380 | 18,400 |
| Connecticut | $73,760 | $77,630 | $37.32 | $51,320 | $85,500 | $74,932 | 2,970 |
| Massachusetts | $73,220 | $72,800 | $35.00 | $49,730 | $98,130 | $68,809 | 11,940 |
| Maryland | $72,550 | $73,810 | $35.49 | $48,030 | $98,770 | $70,295 | 5,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,340 | $73,460 | $35.32 | $48,620 | $89,190 | $75,266 | 5,020 |
| Oregon | $71,290 | $70,900 | $34.09 | $38,800 | $104,070 | $68,569 | 3,790 |
| Nevada | $70,510 | $66,570 | $32.01 | $47,600 | $101,450 | $66,570 | 2,640 |
| Rhode Island | $67,480 | $67,380 | $32.39 | $56,110 | $76,620 | $65,865 | 1,620 |
| Indiana | $62,420 | $62,780 | $30.18 | $38,460 | $81,890 | $67,288 | 8,530 |
| Florida | $61,370 | $58,550 | $28.15 | $37,260 | $93,310 | $56,625 | 24,570 |
| Arizona | $60,850 | $59,280 | $28.50 | $36,700 | $88,220 | $58,868 | 7,500 |
| Texas | $60,390 | $60,180 | $28.94 | $40,020 | $77,170 | $61,977 | 28,170 |
| Alaska | $59,190 | $58,830 | $28.28 | $35,520 | $82,360 | $57,451 | 1,040 |
| Nebraska | $59,190 | $61,040 | $29.35 | $46,660 | $69,460 | $67,747 | 1,070 |
| Virginia | $58,240 | $58,670 | $28.21 | $38,310 | $77,310 | $58,032 | 11,160 |
| Ohio | $58,130 | $59,370 | $28.54 | $34,420 | $84,010 | $63,976 | 18,100 |
| North Dakota | $57,980 | $55,080 | $26.48 | $39,700 | $77,530 | $61,888 | 820 |
| Montana | $57,660 | $59,310 | $28.52 | $32,810 | $76,620 | $62,696 | 1,010 |
| Iowa | $57,240 | $55,810 | $26.83 | $32,240 | $87,720 | $63,565 | 2,170 |
| Wyoming | $56,800 | $58,090 | $27.93 | $39,550 | $78,760 | $62,665 | 680 |
| Michigan | $56,250 | $54,640 | $26.27 | $37,190 | $78,550 | $56,798 | 6,610 |
| New Hampshire | $55,730 | $56,620 | $27.22 | $35,450 | $78,570 | $54,338 | 2,700 |
| Missouri | $55,240 | $49,080 | $23.60 | $31,140 | $79,360 | $54,053 | 6,580 |
| Idaho | $54,470 | $47,320 | $22.75 | $30,280 | $81,190 | $49,550 | 2,240 |
| Delaware | $53,420 | $46,710 | $22.46 | $41,960 | $72,160 | $46,804 | 560 |
| Oklahoma | $52,280 | $49,710 | $23.90 | $31,620 | $77,560 | $56,617 | 4,150 |
| Tennessee | $51,590 | $49,300 | $23.70 | $33,910 | $70,460 | $53,645 | 7,020 |
| Utah | $51,270 | $48,310 | $23.23 | $27,660 | $80,320 | $48,847 | 2,870 |
| South Dakota | $51,180 | $48,160 | $23.15 | $39,240 | $61,420 | $54,357 | 610 |
| Wisconsin | $50,710 | $46,850 | $22.53 | $29,390 | $77,050 | $49,787 | 8,120 |
| Maine | $50,230 | $48,290 | $23.22 | $35,740 | $63,740 | $49,784 | 2,480 |
| Alabama | $49,720 | $47,600 | $22.89 | $29,770 | $76,190 | $53,604 | 7,260 |
| Vermont | $49,570 | $46,430 | $22.32 | $29,790 | $77,200 | $47,378 | — |
| Kansas | $49,110 | $45,900 | $22.07 | $32,810 | $76,110 | $50,943 | 3,360 |
| Georgia | $47,170 | $46,550 | $22.38 | $33,000 | $61,510 | $48,339 | 12,700 |
| Minnesota | $45,170 | $38,110 | $18.32 | $27,510 | $70,380 | $38,651 | 5,810 |
| South Carolina | $43,900 | $42,570 | $20.47 | $29,130 | $62,150 | $45,432 | 7,780 |
| Arkansas | $43,380 | $39,690 | $19.08 | $28,680 | $60,860 | $45,673 | 2,480 |
| New Mexico | $43,180 | $41,590 | $19.99 | $31,200 | $57,780 | $45,108 | 2,420 |
| North Carolina | $43,060 | $37,940 | $18.24 | $29,360 | $61,940 | $40,233 | 19,410 |
| Kentucky | $42,100 | $37,150 | $17.86 | $27,870 | $60,720 | $41,186 | 5,150 |
| West Virginia | $40,100 | $37,350 | $17.96 | $29,020 | $51,390 | $41,732 | 900 |
| Mississippi | $37,230 | $35,880 | $17.25 | $26,850 | $51,310 | $41,241 | 2,920 |
| Louisiana | $36,610 | $33,120 | $15.92 | $22,510 | $56,670 | $37,551 | 5,230 |
| Hawaii | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Highest median pay
- New York — $100,960
- Washington — $94,520
- California — $85,120
- New Jersey — $84,130
- Illinois — $78,380
Lowest median pay
- Louisiana — $33,120
- Mississippi — $35,880
- Kentucky — $37,150
- West Virginia — $37,350
- North Carolina — $37,940
Best pay after cost of living
- New York — $93,568
- Washington — $88,336
- Illinois — $78,380
- New Jersey — $77,325
- California — $76,893
The most firefighters work in California (31,470 jobs), Texas and Florida.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a firefighter make?
The national median wage for firefighters is $59,280 a year and the mean is $63,630, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays firefighters the most?
California has the highest mean wage for firefighters at $95,090, and New York has the highest median at $100,960.
Which state pays firefighters the least?
Louisiana has the lowest mean wage for firefighters among states with published data, at $36,610.
Where do firefighters earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, New York ranks first at $93,568 in national-average dollars, followed by Washington and Illinois.