How Much Do Firefighters Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary firefighters make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for firefighters and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of firefighters are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much firefighters can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Firefighters
According to data from 2022, there were about 85,319 positions for firefighters in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for firefighters was reported to be $80,142. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 6,034 job postings related to positions for firefighters.
How Much Money Do Firefighters Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money firefighters and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for firefighters.
Annual Salary for Firefighters
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for firefighters and related professions earned about $46,176 per year in 2022. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $128,814 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for firefighters in the United States in 2022 was $80,142.
Annual Salary Range For Firefighters In 2022
Hourly Salary for Firefighters
The BLS also breaks down compensation for firefighters by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for firefighters in 2022 was $39. Lowest hourly earners took home $22 while the highest reported hourly salaries for firefighters was $62.
Hourly Salary Range For Firefighters In 2022
Top Online College For Working Adults
Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Degree Options for Firefighters
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Launch an exciting career as a police officer, corrections officer, or investigator by learning the ins and outs of the U.S. criminal justice system and all its interconnected components, including law enforcement, corrections, and the courts.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Maintain social order and earn credentials for a leadership role in police, corrections, security, or court administration.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Earn college credit for your public safety experience and get promoted to a leadership rank with this degree-completion major.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Acquire specialized knowledge while developing a holistic view of the criminal justice system.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 6
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Tackle critical issues facing individuals and communities with advanced leadership and management skills ideally suited for a complex criminal justice system.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Advertised Compensation for Firefighters
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for firefighters, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for firefighters.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Firefighters
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 6,043 job postings related to firefighters, advertised salary was included in 2,603 of them, which was 43%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for firefighters was $89,984 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Firefighters
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for firefighters. Based on 43% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for firefighters in the United States is about $43.
Salary Trend for Firefighters
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for firefighters. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for firefighters dating back to September 2019, advertised salaries for firefighters have increased 4%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Firefighters
What's the Job Growth for Firefighters?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for firefighters over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 85,252 jobs for firefighters in the United States in 2022. By 2032, it is expected that about 6,775 jobs will be added. That's a 7.9% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Firefighters
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about firefighters? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for firefighters.
What do firefighters do?
Firefighters: How do you become one?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.