SOC 33-2011 · Protective Service Occupations
Firefighters wages by metro
National median annual wage
$59,280
- 10th percentile
- $34,910
- 25th percentile
- $44,490
- Median
- $59,280
- 75th percentile
- $77,250
- 90th percentile
- $101,040
- Mean
- $63,630
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 345,990.
That median is 16.3% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,330 | $59,680 | $152,100 | $181,270 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 3,450 | $77,070 | $113,700 | $139,590 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 14,960 | $56,390 | $106,420 | $115,380 |
| Bellingham, WA | 320 | $61,690 | $101,130 | $117,990 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,760 | $73,360 | $101,090 | $124,000 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 300 | $58,330 | $99,930 | $108,250 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,200 | $58,710 | $98,050 | $150,760 |
| Vallejo, CA | 330 | $46,160 | $95,950 | $134,370 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 290 | $51,360 | $95,910 | $117,010 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 2,590 | $54,120 | $94,080 | $151,020 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 260 | $64,350 | $90,050 | $115,740 |
| Rochester, NY | 730 | $57,280 | $89,120 | $93,810 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 340 | $48,160 | $88,090 | $101,840 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 3,010 | $60,980 | $87,980 | $122,750 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 310 | $41,380 | $87,400 | $120,820 |
| Ames, IA | 60 | $38,440 | $86,010 | $86,010 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 1,730 | $58,250 | $85,170 | $110,570 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 750 | $44,030 | $83,310 | $124,400 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 14,560 | $42,080 | $82,820 | $112,930 |
| Corvallis, OR | 60 | $45,180 | $82,700 | $97,640 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 14,960 | $56,390 | $106,420 | $115,380 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 14,560 | $42,080 | $82,820 | $112,930 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8,780 | $48,460 | $64,900 | $92,700 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 8,510 | $49,700 | $73,990 | $118,540 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 7,610 | $48,360 | $66,980 | $98,770 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,200 | $58,710 | $98,050 | $150,760 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 6,600 | $48,530 | $75,710 | $116,390 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 6,350 | $36,920 | $47,300 | $68,680 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 5,780 | $44,600 | $59,120 | $72,970 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 4,700 | $30,410 | $38,700 | $79,960 |
| Columbus, OH | 4,130 | $35,720 | $61,780 | $96,530 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 4,020 | $45,510 | $61,780 | $91,590 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 3,980 | $29,070 | $39,350 | $73,780 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,970 | $47,580 | $78,050 | $89,190 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,760 | $73,360 | $101,090 | $124,000 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 3,740 | $43,410 | $68,480 | $89,060 |
| Cleveland, OH | 3,660 | $35,770 | $62,720 | $78,650 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 3,580 | $36,870 | $45,520 | $75,390 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 3,520 | $41,120 | $62,730 | $84,390 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 3,450 | $77,070 | $113,700 | $139,590 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 12,950 | $56,390 | $100,960 | $106,440 |
| Washington | 7,560 | $47,640 | $94,520 | $123,980 |
| California | 31,470 | $52,390 | $85,120 | $136,150 |
| New Jersey | 7,500 | $47,920 | $84,130 | $123,940 |
| Illinois | 18,400 | $38,900 | $78,380 | $106,060 |
| Connecticut | 2,970 | $51,320 | $77,630 | $85,500 |
| District of Columbia | 1,480 | $61,050 | $75,870 | $99,760 |
| Colorado | 6,510 | $47,000 | $74,170 | $114,170 |
| Maryland | 5,340 | $48,030 | $73,810 | $98,770 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,020 | $48,620 | $73,460 | $89,190 |
| Massachusetts | 11,940 | $49,730 | $72,800 | $98,130 |
| Oregon | 3,790 | $38,800 | $70,900 | $104,070 |
| Rhode Island | 1,620 | $56,110 | $67,380 | $76,620 |
| Nevada | 2,640 | $47,600 | $66,570 | $101,450 |
| Indiana | 8,530 | $38,460 | $62,780 | $81,890 |
| Nebraska | 1,070 | $46,660 | $61,040 | $69,460 |
| Texas | 28,170 | $40,020 | $60,180 | $77,170 |
| Ohio | 18,100 | $34,420 | $59,370 | $84,010 |
| Montana | 1,010 | $32,810 | $59,310 | $76,620 |
| Arizona | 7,500 | $36,700 | $59,280 | $88,220 |
| Alaska | 1,040 | $35,520 | $58,830 | $82,360 |
| Virginia | 11,160 | $38,310 | $58,670 | $77,310 |
| Florida | 24,570 | $37,260 | $58,550 | $93,310 |
| Wyoming | 680 | $39,550 | $58,090 | $78,760 |
| New Hampshire | 2,700 | $35,450 | $56,620 | $78,570 |
| Iowa | 2,170 | $32,240 | $55,810 | $87,720 |
| North Dakota | 820 | $39,700 | $55,080 | $77,530 |
| Michigan | 6,610 | $37,190 | $54,640 | $78,550 |
| Oklahoma | 4,150 | $31,620 | $49,710 | $77,560 |
| Tennessee | 7,020 | $33,910 | $49,300 | $70,460 |
| Missouri | 6,580 | $31,140 | $49,080 | $79,360 |
| Utah | 2,870 | $27,660 | $48,310 | $80,320 |
| Maine | 2,480 | $35,740 | $48,290 | $63,740 |
| South Dakota | 610 | $39,240 | $48,160 | $61,420 |
| Alabama | 7,260 | $29,770 | $47,600 | $76,190 |
| Idaho | 2,240 | $30,280 | $47,320 | $81,190 |
| Wisconsin | 8,120 | $29,390 | $46,850 | $77,050 |
| Delaware | 560 | $41,960 | $46,710 | $72,160 |
| Georgia | 12,700 | $33,000 | $46,550 | $61,510 |
| Vermont | Not available | $29,790 | $46,430 | $77,200 |
| Kansas | 3,360 | $32,810 | $45,900 | $76,110 |
| South Carolina | 7,780 | $29,130 | $42,570 | $62,150 |
| New Mexico | 2,420 | $31,200 | $41,590 | $57,780 |
| Arkansas | 2,480 | $28,680 | $39,690 | $60,860 |
| Minnesota | 5,810 | $27,510 | $38,110 | $70,380 |
| North Carolina | 19,410 | $29,360 | $37,940 | $61,940 |
| West Virginia | 900 | $29,020 | $37,350 | $51,390 |
| Kentucky | 5,150 | $27,870 | $37,150 | $60,720 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,780 | $32,000 | $37,120 | $44,130 |
| Mississippi | 2,920 | $26,850 | $35,880 | $51,310 |
| Louisiana | 5,230 | $22,510 | $33,120 | $56,670 |
Other protective service occupations
- Security Guards
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Correctional Officers and Jailers
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
- Crossing Guards and Flaggers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Firefighters?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Firefighters is $59,280. Employment is 345,990.
How does Firefighters pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Firefighters is 16.3% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Firefighters?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is highest on this page's list at $152,100.