Chicago Fire Department Hiring 2026: Application, Requirements, and Salary Guide

The short answer. The City of Chicago CFD Job Requirements page (read 2026-09-03) prints a starting salary of $74,626 a year as of January 1, 2026 for Firefighter/EMT, and the same cell for Fire Paramedic. You must be 18 by the date of the Firefighter/EMT written examination, and the city says "No person may be appointed after age 37." Those are two different measuring points. The Firefighter/EMT block does not print an apply-by date.

Older copies of this page printed an average salary, a rank pay table, and a minimum-age line. The city's page does not print those lines.

What does Chicago pay a new firefighter?

The same page names Holiday Pay, Duty Availability Pay, Specialty Pay, and Uniform Allowance. It does not print dollar amounts for those.

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025 puts the Illinois firefighter (SOC 33-2011) median at $78,380. That is a wage survey of people already working, all ranks. It is not Chicago's starting pay. State cell: BLS public API series OEUS170000000000033201113, verified 2026-09-03.

How old do I have to be?

On the Firefighter/EMT block, prior to the written test:

• 18 years of age by the date of administration of the Firefighter/EMT written examination.
• No person may be appointed after age 37.

The Fire Paramedic block on the same page does not reprint those two sentences.

What does the city require before the written exam?

Firefighter/EMT, prior to the written test:

• Age 18 by the exam date, as above.
• High school diploma or GED by the exam date. The city links City Colleges of Chicago GED information.

What does the city require by the hire date?

Firefighter/EMT, by date of hire:

• Proof of passing the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) within the last 12 months. The city links its CPAT candidate preparation guide.
• Residency within the Chicago city limits.
• A valid driver's license issued within the United States.
• Pre-employment screening: background investigation with fingerprinting, drug test, and medical screening.

The city's Job Requirements page does not print the CPAT protocol. The city links its CPAT candidate preparation guide from that page.

Do I need an EMT license?

The Firefighter/EMT block does not print an Illinois EMT-Basic license. Older copies of this page said you needed EMT-Basic at appointment. That line is not on the city's Firefighter/EMT block.

The Fire Paramedic door is different. At time of processing you must hold a current Illinois Paramedic / EMT-P license, or a pending Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) license, and a current U.S. driver's license.

Do I have to live in Chicago?

By date of hire, yes. Exact span on both the Firefighter/EMT and Fire Paramedic blocks: "Must establish residency within the Chicago city limits by date of hire." Older copies of this page added "throughout your career." That sentence is not on this page.

What about the paramedic door?

Fire Paramedic, by date of hire: Chicago residency, the Paramedic Physical Ability Test (not the CPAT sentence), background with fingerprinting, drug test, and medical screening. Starting salary is the same $74,626/yr as of January 1, 2026.

The same page includes this sentence: "APPLY TODAY! CFD is currently accepting applications for paramedics until December 2, 2025." December 2, 2025 has passed. That banner is not an open window.

The city's next-step links on that page are Preparing to Join the Chicago Fire Department and Join CFD Home. This article does not invent a firefighter apply-by date the Job Requirements page does not print.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old do I have to be to become a Chicago firefighter?

The City of Chicago CFD Job Requirements page, Firefighter/EMT block: you must be 18 by the date of the Firefighter/EMT written examination, and "No person may be appointed after age 37." Those are two different measuring points. The older line "18 at the time of application" is wrong. The paramedic block on the same page does not reprint the age sentences.

What is the starting salary for a Chicago firefighter?

The same page prints "Starting Salary (as of January 1, 2026): $74,626/yr" under Firefighter/EMT, and the same cell under Fire Paramedic. It also names Holiday Pay, Duty Availability Pay, Specialty Pay, and Uniform Allowance without dollar amounts. An older rank pay table is not on the city's page. Illinois's OEWS May 2025 firefighter median is $78,380: a wage survey of people already working, not CFD starting pay.

Do I have to live in Chicago?

By date of hire, yes. Exact span: "Must establish residency within the Chicago city limits by date of hire." Printed on both the Firefighter/EMT and Fire Paramedic blocks. The older "maintain residency throughout your career" is not on this page.

Do I need an EMT license to apply as a Chicago firefighter?

The Firefighter/EMT block does not print an Illinois EMT-Basic license. What the page does print: high school diploma or GED by the written exam; CPAT proof within the last 12 months by hire; a U.S. driver's license by hire. The Fire Paramedic door is different: at processing you must hold a current Illinois Paramedic / EMT-P license or a pending IDPH license.

What is the CPAT requirement?

For Firefighter/EMT, by date of hire: "Must obtain proof of passing the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) within the last 12 months." The city links its CPAT preparation guide. Fire Paramedic candidates take the Paramedic Physical Ability Test, not this CPAT sentence.