Houston Fire Hiring (2026): 15 College Hours or TCFP+EMT, Not CPAT

The short answer. Houston Fire's non-certified FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE posting (NEOGOV 4984560, read 2026-09-03) is open through June 1, 2027 11:59 PM Central. Apply at governmentjobs.com/careers/houston. The bar on that posting is 15 accredited college credit hours or two years full-time active military with an honorable discharge on a DD214 Member 4, met by the civil service exam date. The physical test is HFD's Physical Ability Test packet, not CPAT. Three city documents disagree on trainee pay: the posting $36,114.00 annually; the fire-careers compensation table Firefighter Trainee $37,388 (Beginning 07/8/2023); the HR compensation table Firefighter Trainee $36,000 (same stamp). This page carries each figure. A second door, CERTIFIED FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE and/or EMT (4676752), is Continuous. The interest form is not an application. Ready to Serve is not the City of Houston.

Minimum requirements

Two City of Houston requirements pages are live and they do not match on the certified door. Read both, then act on the posting you apply under.

Non-certified Firefighter/EMT Trainee (same on the HR requirements page and the fire-careers requirements page, and on 4984560, read 2026-09-03):

1. Education or service: 15 accredited college hours or two years full-time active military with an honorable discharge, or (on the requirements pages) imminent-danger service. 4984560 names a DD214 Member 4 and says you must meet the bar by the civil service exam date.
2. Age: the requirements pages say 18 when applying and less than 36 before receiving the oath of office. 4984560 quotes Texas Local Government Code 143.023: a person may not take an entrance examination for a beginning fire position unless at least 18 and not 36 or older, and may not be certified eligible if 36 or older. The application asks whether you are at least 18 but not older than 35. Those three lines disagree. Act on the exam and eligibility line on the posting; it is the only one that satisfies the statute quote and the application question.
3. Physical test: HFD's Physical Ability Test packet, not the IAFF/IAFC CPAT. CSE and PAT are by invitation, first come first served.
4. Driving: 2 or fewer moving violations in the last 36 months. 4984560 asks for a valid driver's license in the state you live in, and says a Texas license must be obtained within 30 days of establishing Texas residency.

Certified track. The city pages disagree on which cards you need.

• HR requirements (read 2026-09-03): TCFP Basic or higher and DSHS EMT Basic or higher. Certified cadet training about 3 months.
• Fire-careers requirements (read 2026-09-03): TCFP Basic or higher and/or DSHS EMT Basic or higher. Academy length depends on the cards: both Fire and EMT about 10 weeks; fire only about 3 months; EMT only about 6 months.
• 4676752: active TCFP firefighter certification and/or active TDSHS EMT-Basic and/or active TDSHS EMT-Paramedic. "Training Academy fast track class is approximately 8 weeks." Closing Date: Continuous. That posting's Texas-license question is 90 days, not 30.

Act on the posting you apply under. College hours are not listed as a certified-door bar on those pages.

Disqualifiers named on the requirements pages: no Class A or felony convictions or court-ordered supervision or probation; a dishonorable or other discharge based on misconduct that bars future military service.

Hiring process

Non-certified (4984560). Apply online. Invitation to a civil service exam. Physical Ability Test. Interview. Background. Psychological exam. Immunizations. Drug screen. Medical examination. No polygraph is named on the posting or the requirements pages this retrieval. The eligibility list lasts not less than 6 months and not more than 12 months as determined by the Civil Service Commission.

Certified (4676752). The posting names PAT, interview, background, immunizations, drug screen, and medical examination. It does not name a civil service exam.

Exam dates printed on 4984560: February 24, 2026; June 5, 2026; January 15, 2027; June 11, 2027, 9:30 a.m., Harris County Department of Education, 6300 Irvington Blvd, Houston, TX 77022. As of 2026-09-03, February 24 and June 5 2026 are past. Remaining listed dates: January 15 2027 and June 11 2027. The fire-careers requirements page says "Next Projected C.S.E. January 2027" and lists projected academy starts from October 26, 2026 through June 21, 2027, subject to change. The HR requirements page still shows a 2025 academy-date table. Those calendars disagree. The application door and the listed exam dates sit on 4984560.

Accommodations: HFDCST@houstontx.gov, documents 2 weeks before the exam.

Houston Fire Academy

The academy disclaimer on both requirements pages: a paramilitary program about 7-9 months (length may vary), fire school and EMT school, daily physical training. Non-certified cadet training is about 9 months on both pages. Certified length is the disagreement in the requirements section above. Cadets are paid at the trainee rate during academy.

Salary and compensation

Three City of Houston documents disagree on trainee pay. This page carries each figure.

• FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE 4984560 (read 2026-09-03): $36,114.00 annually.
• Fire-careers compensation, "Beginning 07/8/2023" (read 2026-09-03): Firefighter Trainee $37,388 ($1,438.00 bi-weekly); Probationary Firefighter $54,207; 1st Year Firefighter $58,738; 8th-10th Year $71,040.
• HR compensation, same "Beginning 07/8/2023" stamp (read 2026-09-03): Firefighter Trainee $36,000 ($1,384.62 bi-weekly); Probationary $52,628; 1st Year $57,027; 8th-10th Year $68,970.

4676752 prints a range $36,114.00 - $56,862.00 annually. That high is the posting's range, not a named rank step on either 2023 table.

The fire-careers compensation page also describes the shift: 24 hours on, 24 off, 24 on, then 5 days off; about 9 days a month. HFD names a defined-benefit pension through the Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund. Confirm the live posting before you treat any table row as the check you will cash. The Texas firefighter salary 2026 article carries the Houston caveat.

How to prepare

Train for HFD's PAT packet, not for IAFF CPAT as if it were Houston's test. Departments differ; see CPAT versus department physical ability tests.

If you are on the non-certified door and still need college hours, 15 accredited hours is the bar, met by the exam date. Military veterans with two years of full-time active service and an honorable discharge already meet that alternative on 4984560.

If you are choosing which cards to earn first, whether to do fire academy or EMT school first is the certified-door question, and Houston's own pages disagree on whether you need both cards. Texas EMT path: how to become an EMT in Texas. TCFP: what is TCFP certification.

Career progression

HFD promotes through classified ranks after academy. Rank names and the order of promotion change with department practice; confirm the current ladder on the city site rather than treating a short list as complete. Specialty work (hazmat, technical rescue, fire investigation, EMS supervision) is a later path, not a hire requirement.

FAQ

Is Houston Fire hiring? Yes. Non-certified 4984560 closes June 1, 2027 11:59 PM Central. Certified 4676752 is Continuous. The interest form is not an application.

What are the two doors? Non-certified: 15 accredited college hours or two years full-time active military, then about 9 months of academy. Certified: TCFP and/or DSHS EMT, depending on which city page you read; academy about 8 weeks to 6 months depending on the cards. Apply on the matching posting.

How much does a Houston firefighter trainee make? The live non-certified posting prints $36,114.00. The fire-careers table prints $37,388. The HR table prints $36,000. Both tables are stamped Beginning 07/8/2023. This page carries all three.

Does Houston use CPAT? No. HFD uses its own Physical Ability Test packet. CSE and PAT are by invitation.

What is the age limit? The posting quotes 143.023: you may not take the entrance exam unless you are at least 18 and not 36 or older, and you may not be certified eligible at 36 or older. The requirements pages measure "less than 36" at the oath. The application asks "not older than 35." Act on the exam and eligibility line.

When is the next exam? 4984560 lists January 15, 2027 and June 11, 2027 as the remaining dates (February 24 and June 5 2026 are past). Fire-careers projects the next CSE as January 2027. You are contacted by email if you qualify.

Start here

Apply on 4984560 if you do not already hold the cards, or on 4676752 if you do. Finish before June 1, 2027 11:59 PM Central on the non-certified door. Train the PAT packet, not CPAT. Treat $36,114.00, $37,388, and $36,000 as three published trainee figures, not one. Ready to Serve is the candidate tracker for credentials, fitness, and application materials.

Related

• Texas firefighter salary 2026 by department
• CPAT vs firefighter physical ability tests
• How to become a firefighter in Texas
• Whether to do fire academy or EMT school first
• How to become an EMT in Texas
• What is TCFP certification

Sources

• City of Houston NEOGOV, FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE job 4984560. Closing Date 6/1/2027 11:59 PM Central. Salary $36,114.00 Annually. 15 accredited college credit hours or two years full-time active military, DD214 Member 4, met by the Civil Service Exam date. Exam dates 02/24/2026; 06/05/2026; 01/15/2027; 06/11/2027 at 9:30 a.m., Harris County Department of Education, 6300 Irvington Blvd. Chapter 143.023 age line. Hiring process: civil service exam, PAT, interview, background, psychological exam, immunizations, drug screen, medical examination. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
• City of Houston NEOGOV, CERTIFIED FIRE FIGHTER TRAINEE and/or EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN job 4676752. Continuous. $36,114.00-$56,862.00. TCFP and/or TDSHS EMT-Basic and/or EMT-Paramedic. Fast track academy approximately 8 weeks. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
• City of Houston, HFD Requirements (HR). Non-certified 15 hours or two years military; certified TCFP Basic or higher and DSHS EMT Basic or higher; 18 at apply, less than 36 before the oath; academy about 7-9 months, about 9 months non-certified, about 3 months certified; PAT packet; 2 or fewer moving violations in 36 months. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
• City of Houston, HFD Requirements (fire careers). Certified TCFP and/or DSHS EMT. Academy by cards: both about 10 weeks, fire only about 3 months, EMT only about 6 months. Next projected CSE January 2027. Projected academy dates October 26, 2026 through June 21, 2027. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
• City of Houston, HFD Compensation (fire careers). Beginning 07/8/2023. Firefighter Trainee $37,388. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
• City of Houston, HFD Compensation (HR). Beginning 07/8/2023. Firefighter Trainee $36,000. Retrieved 2026-09-03.