Firefighters Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for firefighters in the U.S. is $59,280 ($28.50 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $59,280
- Mean annual wage
- $63,630
- Median hourly wage
- $28.50
- Employment
- 345,990
345,990 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,910 | $16.79 |
| 25th percentile | $44,490 | $21.39 |
| Median (50th) | $59,280 | $28.50 |
| 75th percentile | $77,250 | $37.14 |
| 90th percentile | $101,040 | $48.58 |
Highest-paying states for firefighters
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $100,960 | 12,950 |
| Washington | $94,520 | 7,560 |
| California | $85,120 | 31,470 |
| New Jersey | $84,130 | 7,500 |
| Illinois | $78,380 | 18,400 |
| Connecticut | $77,630 | 2,970 |
| District of Columbia | $75,870 | 1,480 |
| Colorado | $74,170 | 6,510 |
| Maryland | $73,810 | 5,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,460 | 5,020 |
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $33,120 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $35,880 median annual wage
- Kentucky: $37,150 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $37,350 median annual wage
- North Carolina: $37,940 median annual wage
Related occupations
- Security Guards$38,020
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210
- Correctional Officers and Jailers$58,940
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.