Firefighter Salary Guide by State: Complete 2026 Comparison
BLS OEWS May 2025: US firefighter median $59,280. Highest published state medians: New York $100,960, Washington $94,520, California $85,120. Hawaii not published.
- Author
- Ready to Serve Editorial Team
- Updated
- September 3, 2026
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- 8 min read
- bls oews
Career firefighters in the United States earned a median of $59,280 a year, or $28.50 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release of May 2025. The five highest published state medians for occupation 33-2011 were New York at $100,960, Washington at $94,520, California at $85,120, New Jersey at $84,130, and Illinois at $78,380. BLS did not publish a May 2025 firefighter estimate for Hawaii (the state series does not exist in the BLS public data API). Last verified 2026-09-03. Wages from OEWS May 2025; projections from the 2025-35 Employment Projections cycle published 2026-08-27.
A state median is a wage-survey midpoint, not a starting offer. Department pay schedules live on each city's own posting. The full 50-state OEWS table is on our firefighter salary guide. Texas department schedules are on Texas firefighter salary 2026 by department. California department schedules are on California firefighter salary 2026 by department.
How much do firefighters make nationally?
BLS OEWS, May 2025, occupation 33-2011 (Firefighters). Mean wage $63,630 a year, or $30.59 an hour. Employment in the wage survey: 345,990. National cells: BLS OEWS profile, occupation 332011.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $34,910 |
| 25th | $44,490 |
| 50th (median) | $59,280 |
| 75th | $77,250 |
| 90th | $101,040 |
Data: BLS OEWS, May 2025. These are base wages from the wage survey. They are not starting pay at a named department, and they do not include overtime. Under the FLSA 7(k) overtime threshold for fire protection employees, overtime begins after 212 hours in a 28-day work period (29 CFR 553.230).
Which states publish the highest firefighter medians?
Top published state medians from the same May 2025 OEWS release, occupation 33-2011:
| Rank | State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $100,960 |
| 2 | Washington | $94,520 |
| 3 | California | $85,120 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $84,130 |
| 5 | Illinois | $78,380 |
Data: BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates, verified 2026-09-03 through the BLS public data API. BLS did not publish a May 2025 firefighter estimate for Hawaii (the state series does not exist in the BLS public data API). This page does not substitute an older Hawaii figure.
A blog or job-board average is not a source. This page cites BLS OEWS state medians, not aggregator roundups.
What does Texas publish?
Texas firefighters (33-2011, TX): median $60,180, employment 28,170. BLS OEWS, May 2025, verified 2026-09-03 through the BLS public data API, series OEUS480000000000033201113 (median) and OEUS480000000000033201101 (employment).
That statewide median mixes small departments with large metros. For a named Texas department, use that city's pay plan on Texas firefighter salary 2026 by department or the department directory.
How many firefighters are volunteers?
The National Volunteer Fire Council Volunteer Fire Service Fact Sheet (February 2026), compiling the NFPA U.S. Fire Department Profile, reports:
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Total US firefighters | 1,018,100 |
| Volunteer firefighters | 635,100 |
| Volunteer share | 62% |
| Fire departments | 29,452 |
| All-volunteer departments | 18,873 |
Fetched and read 2026-08-11. Primary URL: nvfc.org volunteer fire service fact sheet. NFPA count page: nfpa.org number of firefighters in the US.
OEWS employment (345,990) and the NVFC/NFPA headcount (1,018,100) are different series. This page does not subtract them.
What does BLS project for hiring?
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 put firefighter employment at 355,300 in 2025 and 368,400 in 2035, about 4 percent growth, with about 26,800 openings a year, most of them replacements. The 355,300 is the projection base year, not the OEWS headcount (345,990). Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, firefighters, last modified August 27, 2026, re-fetched 2026-09-03. That page prints 4 percent and 26,800.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the national median firefighter salary? The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025 puts the firefighter (SOC 33-2011) median at $59,280 a year, or $28.50 an hour. The mean is $63,630. The middle 80 percent of the wage survey runs from $34,910 (10th) to $101,040 (90th). That is a wage survey across all ranks and years of service, not a starting rate.
Which states have the highest firefighter medians? In the same May 2025 OEWS release, the published state medians at the top of the table are New York $100,960, Washington $94,520, California $85,120, New Jersey $84,130, and Illinois $78,380. BLS did not publish a May 2025 firefighter estimate for Hawaii (the state series does not exist in the BLS public data API). The complete 50-state table is on the firefighter salary guide.
Is a state median the same as starting pay? No. OEWS medians mix recruits, ten-year firefighters, and specialists in every department that responded to the survey. A city's starting rate is the number on that city's pay plan.
How many firefighters are there in the United States? Two different counts. OEWS May 2025 counts 345,990 firefighter jobs. The NVFC February 2026 fact sheet, compiling the NFPA U.S. Fire Department Profile, counts 1,018,100 firefighters, of whom 635,100 (62%) are volunteers, across 29,452 departments. Do not add them.
How fast is firefighter employment growing? BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 put firefighter employment at 355,300 in 2025 and 368,400 in 2035, about 4 percent growth, with about 26,800 openings a year, most of them replacements. The 355,300 is the projection base year, not the OEWS headcount (345,990).
Related Guides
Sources
Last verified 2026-09-03. OOH firefighters page re-fetched 2026-09-03 (last modified August 27, 2026). OEWS wages accessed in the register 2026-08-11; Texas and Hawaii state cells verified 2026-09-03 via the BLS public data API.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Firefighters (33-2011). National median $59,280, mean $63,630, employment 345,990, percentiles as tabled. data.bls.gov/oesprofile occupation 332011 measure 13.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates for 33-2011. Top published medians: New York $100,960, Washington $94,520, California $85,120, New Jersey $84,130, Illinois $78,380. BLS did not publish a May 2025 firefighter estimate for Hawaii (the state series does not exist in the BLS public data API).
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Texas 33-2011: median $60,180, employment 28,170. Verified 2026-09-03 through the BLS public data API, series OEUS480000000000033201113 (median) and OEUS480000000000033201101 (employment).
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 cycle: 355,300 (2025 base) to 368,400 (2035), about 4 percent growth, about 26,800 openings a year. bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/firefighters.htm. Last modified August 27, 2026.
- National Volunteer Fire Council, Volunteer Fire Service Fact Sheet, February 2026 (NFPA U.S. Fire Department Profile). nvfc.org PDF.
- FLSA 7(k) overtime threshold: 212 hours / 28 days. 29 CFR 553.230.
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