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Firefighters Salary by State
There were an estimated 332,240 firefighters working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) firefighter earned $59,530 a year, or $28.62 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $63,890. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of firefighters earned $34,490 or less, the bottom quarter earned $44,180 or less, the top quarter earned at least $77,410, and the top 10% earned at least $101,330. Where a firefighter works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where firefighters earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for firefighters is in Washington, at $93,490 a year — 57.0% higher than the national median of $59,530. Next are New York at $88,380 and New Jersey at $87,660. At the other end, Louisiana posts the lowest published median, $33,700, which is 43.4% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 2.8 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the firefighter jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. Texas alone employs 30,400 firefighters, and the three largest states — Texas, California, and Florida — together account for 24% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, Texas, runs at a median of $60,840, 2.2% higher than the national median, so the biggest job market is also one of the better-paying ones. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Firefighter salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for firefighters in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of firefighters in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 8,000 | $44.95 | $93,490 | $87,240 | $118,460 |
| New York | 14,730 | $42.49 | $88,380 | $86,680 | $105,270 |
| New Jersey | 6,590 | $42.14 | $87,660 | $87,710 | $124,980 |
| California | 27,580 | $40.10 | $83,400 | $98,200 | $143,830 |
| District of Columbia | 1,430 | $38.19 | $79,430 | $80,320 | $99,760 |
| Illinois | 14,510 | $38.02 | $79,080 | $76,650 | $117,060 |
| Connecticut | 2,860 | $37.34 | $77,660 | $72,090 | $86,140 |
| Colorado | 6,170 | $36.81 | $76,560 | $78,560 | $109,680 |
| Oregon | 3,660 | $35.23 | $73,270 | $71,930 | $102,920 |
| Massachusetts | 11,910 | $35.15 | $73,110 | $73,130 | $98,610 |
| Pennsylvania | — | $34.34 | $71,430 | $67,930 | $90,240 |
| Maryland | 5,250 | $33.94 | $70,580 | $72,070 | $99,940 |
| Rhode Island | 1,590 | $33.41 | $69,480 | $68,840 | $89,140 |
| Nevada | 2,360 | $32.27 | $67,120 | $69,050 | $97,440 |
| Montana | 960 | $30.78 | $64,020 | $62,840 | $78,880 |
| Alaska | 1,040 | $30.39 | $63,220 | $59,730 | $87,940 |
| Nebraska | 1,060 | $29.69 | $61,760 | $58,960 | $69,400 |
| Indiana | 8,550 | $29.55 | $61,470 | $61,850 | $88,940 |
| Texas | 30,400 | $29.25 | $60,840 | $60,880 | $76,840 |
| Ohio | 18,750 | $28.59 | $59,470 | $59,170 | $87,160 |
| Arizona | 6,870 | $28.20 | $58,650 | $60,660 | $79,780 |
| Florida | 21,470 | $28.06 | $58,360 | $63,610 | $90,010 |
| Virginia | 10,820 | $28.03 | $58,300 | $58,510 | $78,220 |
| New Hampshire | 2,880 | $27.42 | $57,030 | $55,800 | $83,770 |
| Michigan | 7,390 | $26.72 | $55,570 | $55,970 | $78,590 |
| Iowa | 2,050 | $26.54 | $55,190 | $57,440 | $87,840 |
| Idaho | 2,100 | $25.90 | $53,860 | $56,370 | $91,990 |
| North Dakota | 750 | $25.80 | $53,660 | $56,000 | $74,610 |
| Wyoming | 680 | $24.93 | $51,850 | $54,970 | $70,570 |
| Utah | 2,650 | $23.69 | $49,270 | $53,580 | $81,240 |
| Missouri | 6,740 | $23.30 | $48,470 | $53,180 | $76,960 |
| Delaware | 450 | $23.11 | $48,060 | $54,760 | $72,380 |
| Wisconsin | 8,010 | $22.94 | $47,710 | $51,840 | $77,960 |
| South Dakota | 540 | $22.85 | $47,520 | $48,500 | $62,140 |
| Alabama | 6,930 | $22.83 | $47,490 | $49,640 | $73,360 |
| Maine | 2,390 | $22.83 | $47,490 | $49,210 | $63,040 |
| Tennessee | 6,510 | $22.74 | $47,300 | $49,810 | $71,300 |
| Oklahoma | 4,110 | $22.73 | $47,270 | $50,090 | $76,700 |
| Vermont | 470 | $22.18 | $46,130 | $47,140 | $58,240 |
| Georgia | 11,660 | $22.10 | $45,970 | $47,340 | $61,530 |
| South Carolina | 7,570 | $22.10 | $45,960 | $45,730 | $64,010 |
| Kansas | 3,630 | $21.18 | $44,060 | $48,410 | $76,390 |
| New Mexico | 2,200 | $20.64 | $42,920 | $44,110 | $59,580 |
| Arkansas | 2,280 | $20.24 | $42,100 | $43,870 | $63,930 |
| Minnesota | 4,890 | $20.19 | $41,990 | $48,510 | $72,970 |
| West Virginia | 1,040 | $19.95 | $41,500 | $44,450 | $59,770 |
| North Carolina | 18,200 | $17.91 | $37,250 | $42,450 | $64,140 |
| Kentucky | 5,320 | $17.85 | $37,140 | $40,960 | $58,860 |
| Mississippi | 2,630 | $17.78 | $36,980 | $38,560 | $54,030 |
| Louisiana | 4,690 | $16.20 | $33,700 | $37,270 | $52,080 |
Firefighter wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | 1,720 | $19.00 | $39,520 | $37,660 | $42,610 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of firefighters earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $63,890 sits above the median of $59,530 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Firefighter salary FAQ
What is the average firefighter salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for firefighters at $63,890 in May 2024, with a median of $59,530 ($28.62 an hour) across 332,240 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays firefighters the most?
Washington has the highest median pay for firefighters, at $93,490 a year in May 2024 — 57.0% higher than the national median of $59,530.
Which state pays firefighters the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Louisiana has the lowest median for firefighters, at $33,700 a year, 43.4% lower than the national median.
How many firefighters are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 332,240 firefighters jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is Texas, with 30,400 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.