How to Become a Firefighter in New York

The short answer. FDNY is one New York employer, not the whole state. The JoinFDNY firefighter careers page (read 2026-09-03) prints a starting salary of $54,122. On the same page, one sentence says after five years a firefighter "can make more than $105,146, including overtime and holiday pay," and the salary table lists $105,146 at "After 5.5 Years" with the footnote "Overtime, Fringe and Holiday Pay not included." Those two lines disagree. You can start the process at 17½; you must not have reached your 29th birthday by the beginning of the application period; you must be 21 at appointment. At appointment you must live in one of the five boroughs or Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, or Westchester County — not the five boroughs alone. The DCAS open-competitive exam list opened 2026-09-03 has no Firefighter title. JoinFDNY says the written exam is typically offered about every four years, and in the same page's FAQ "every 4-5 years," "subject to change."

This page is the New York how-to. FDNY dollars below are FDNY's own figures. Statewide pay ranges that were not on the pages opened today are not on this page. Ready to Serve is not FDNY, DCAS, or the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

FDNY eligibility

From the JoinFDNY firefighter careers page and the eligibility page, both read 2026-09-03:

• Age to file: "You can start your process of becoming an FDNY Firefighter as early as 17 1/2 years of age. You should not reach your 29th birthday by the beginning of the application process." FAQ 14 on the careers page is more specific: at least 17½ "by the end of the application period," and you "must not have reached your 29th birthday by the beginning of the application period to be eligible to take this examination."
• Age to appoint: "Be at least 21 years of age by time of appointment."
• Military age. Two JoinFDNY pages disagree on the subtraction. The careers page: if you were on active military duty, "The maximum you can subtract is 7 years," citing Section 243 of New York State Military Law. The eligibility page: "The maximum you can subtract is 6 years." This page carries both. Until FDNY writes one number, treat 6 years as the line that satisfies both pages. Special Military list: "you cannot turn 36-year old by the beginning of the current application period."
• Citizenship: "Be a U.S. citizen at the time of appointment." Filing does not require it.
• License: "Hold a valid New York State motor vehicle driver’s license" at appointment, and keep it.
• Residency at appointment: five boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island) or Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, or Westchester County. FAQ 10: "it does not matter where you live when you file for or take the Firefighter Exam." An older copy of this article said FDNY requires residency in the five boroughs. That is not what JoinFDNY prints.
• Education / work by appointment: a four-year high school diploma or its equivalent, and one of: at least 15 college semester credits from an accredited college or university; or full-time military service with an honorable discharge; or six months of full-time, satisfactory, paid work experience. An older copy of this article treated a diploma or GED as the whole door.
• English: "Be able to understand and be understood in English."
• Checks: medical, psychological, drug screening, and a background investigation. "Demonstrate proof of good character."
• CFR-D: Certified First Responder with Defibrillation by the end of probation, not at appointment. FDNY provides the course during probationary training. After you pass, "$30 per pay period will be deducted until the total cost of the training course is covered." Fail to obtain CFR-D by the end of probation and you "will be terminated."

FDNY steps

JoinFDNY lists five steps:

1. Apply to take the written Firefighter exam. DCAS is the application door (upcoming exams; OASys).
2. Take the written exam. Reading, listening, problem-solving, and arithmetic. FDNY hosts free prep sessions. DCAS still hosts a Firefighter CBT tutorial for exam year 2024/2025.
3. Take the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT). JoinFDNY: eight events, pass/fail — stair climb, hose drag, equipment carry, ladder raise and extension, forcible entry, search, rescue, and ceiling breach and pull. That page does not print a time cap, a vest weight, or a mannequin weight.
4. Candidate review. Medical, psychological, and background. JoinFDNY names a mentorship program that can prepare you for the academy.
5. Graduate the Fire Academy. "Successfully complete an 18-week classroom and physical fitness program that includes fire service training." The careers page that carries that sentence does not name an academy address.

Candidates on a Promotion to Firefighter list are called before the Open Competitive list. "Candidates for employment as Firefighter will be called based on the list number and need, which can take up to multiple years."

Is the firefighter exam open?

No dated Firefighter filing is on the pages opened 2026-09-03.

The DCAS open-competitive list that day names Police Officer (exam 7313, 9/1/2026–9/14/2026), Correction Officer, and other titles. It does not name Firefighter. The September 2026 monthly applications PDF matches that list. It does carry a promotion exam, Marine Engineer (Uniformed-Fire Department) 7522, 8/5/2026–10/27/2026 — that is not the entry firefighter exam.

JoinFDNY Step 1: "Exams are typically offered about every four years." FAQ 5 on the same page: "The application period for the Firefighter exam typically opens every 4-5 years. However, this timeline is subject to change." This page carries both clocks. Watch DCAS, not a guessed four-year clock.

The JoinFDNY home page CTA on 2026-09-03 is "Apply to become an FDNY EMT," not firefighter. EMT and firefighter are different doors.

FDNY pay, as JoinFDNY prints it

JoinFDNY firefighter careers, read 2026-09-03:

"Starting salary for a Firefighter is $54,122." Benefits named on that page: lifelong medical coverage for you and your family, growth opportunities, flexible work schedules, up to four weeks paid vacation per year, and a generous pension.

$105,146 is printed two ways on the same page. The sentence above the table: after five years a firefighter "can make more than $105,146, including overtime and holiday pay." The table:

*Overtime, Fringe and Holiday Pay not included.

The table's 5.5-year cell is the same dollar as the sentence, with the opposite overtime label, and at 5.5 years not five. Do not treat $105,146 as a guaranteed fifth-year check. Confirm the live JoinFDNY table before you budget.

Promotional maxima on that page (JoinFDNY: "Salary = Maximum"): Lieutenant $130,260, Captain $149,518, Battalion Chief $194,689.

Earlier versions of this article printed pay bands and CPAT standards that appear on none of the pages opened for this revision; they are gone.

CFR-D recoupment is $30 per pay period until the course cost is covered. That is the other FDNY dollar a candidate acts on.

Volunteer and other career departments

Outside FDNY, New York career departments hire through their own civil-service exams. Check the New York State Department of Civil Service and the municipality. This article does not invent a statewide pay band for them.

The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control (read 2026-09-03) trains firefighters and names more than 1,800 fire departments in the state. Its best-practices page recommends, for exterior work, the NYS Basic Exterior Firefighter Operations course (or equivalent) plus Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations, NIMS I-700 and I-100, and basic first aid/CPR; for interior structural work, the NYS Firefighter I course (or equivalent) plus NIMS I-700 and I-100 and basic first aid/CPR. That page does not print hour counts. An older copy of this article treated "Firefighter I" as the only volunteer line and printed volunteer headcounts that are not on the OFPC pages opened today.

The New York State Volunteer Firefighter Stipend Program page (read 2026-09-03) is the document that names General Municipal Law § 200-aa, effective August 31, 2023. On that page the course list pays Firefighter Assist and Search Team or Rapid Intervention Crew $350.00. FAQ 12 on the same page says firefighters completing RIC are eligible for "the $300 training stipend." Those two lines disagree. This page prints both. Ask the department you want to join what it actually requires and pays.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old do I have to be to become an FDNY firefighter? JoinFDNY, read 2026-09-03: start the process as early as 17½; do not reach your 29th birthday by the beginning of the application period (FAQ 14: 17½ by the end of the application period; not 29 by the beginning). You must be 21 at appointment. Military: careers page subtracts up to 7 years; eligibility page subtracts up to 6 years. Act on 6 until FDNY writes one number. Special Military list: not 36 at the beginning of the current application period.

Where do I have to live? At appointment: one of the five boroughs, or Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, or Westchester. You do not have to live there to file or sit the exam. An older copy of this article said five boroughs only. JoinFDNY FAQ 11 describes a 10-point New York City residency credit for the 2024 Firefighter exam with 2022/2023 proof; that is that exam's rule, not a promise for the next filing. FAQ 12 on the same page: "Each exam year, applicants living in NYC will receive extra points." The documentation years were exam-specific; the credit is stated as recurring.

Is the FDNY firefighter exam open right now? Not on the pages opened 2026-09-03. DCAS's open-competitive list and September 2026 monthly PDF have no Firefighter title. JoinFDNY prints "about every four years" and, in FAQ 5, "every 4-5 years," "subject to change." Watch DCAS upcoming exams.

What does FDNY pay a firefighter? JoinFDNY starting salary $54,122. The same page prints $105,146 two ways (five years including overtime and holiday pay, versus 5.5 years with overtime not included). Promotional maxima: Lieutenant $130,260, Captain $149,518, Battalion Chief $194,689. CFR-D recoupment $30 per pay period.

Do I need EMT before the FDNY academy? JoinFDNY requires CFR-D by the end of probation, not at appointment. FDNY provides the course during probationary training. FAQ 19: no extra exam points for already holding CFR-D or EMT.

What is the physical test? JoinFDNY names CPAT, eight events, pass/fail. That page does not print a time cap, a vest weight, or a mannequin weight. FDNY offers workout sessions to prepare.

Next step

Read JoinFDNY firefighter careers and watch the DCAS exam list for the next Firefighter filing. If the employer you want is a volunteer or a career department outside the city, start at OFPC and that department's own posting — it is a different door.