💰
National Median Salary
$62,400↗
Across all firefighter ranks nationwide
📊Annual Report2025
National Firefighter
Salary Report 2025
Comprehensive compensation analysis across all ranks and states. Data sourced from BLS, municipal payroll records, and 182 fire departments covering ~~347,000 firefighters nationwide.
Median National Salary
$62,400
All ranks combined
YoY Growth
+4.2%
2024 to 2025
Data Coverage
182
Departments analyzed
Key Findings
2025 Market Snapshot
📈
Year-Over-Year Growth
+4.2%↗
Average salary increase from 2024 to 2025
🏆
Top Paying State
California
Average firefighter salary: $87,890
🌆
Highest Metro Area
San Jose, CA
Average annual wage: $111,550
Compensation Analysis
Salary Distribution by Rank
Base salary percentiles across firefighter ranks, excluding overtime and specialty pay. Data reflects 2024 payroll records and 2025 contract adjustments.
| Rank | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Probationary Firefighter | $45,500 | $52,900 | $58,200 | $63,500 | ↗+3.8% |
Firefighter / Paramedic | $55,100 | $65,800 | $75,600 | $84,400 | ↗+4.1% |
Driver / Engineer | $63,200 | $74,900 | $86,300 | $97,500 | ↗+4.0% |
Lieutenant | $72,600 | $86,300 | $98,400 | $109,800 | ↗+4.3% |
Captain | $81,400 | $94,700 | $108,600 | $123,600 | ↗+4.4% |
Battalion Chief | $97,200 | $114,400 | $128,500 | $146,900 | ↗+4.5% |
Deputy / Assistant Chief | $112,300 | $128,700 | $142,800 | $162,400 | ↗+4.3% |
Fire Chief | $118,500 | $135,200 | $156,400 | $178,400 | ↗+4.2% |
Methodology: Percentiles calculated from base salary data across 182 departments. Excludes overtime, hazard pay, longevity bonuses, and pension contributions. Metropolitan and suburban departments weighted equally.
Geographic Analysis
Top 10 Highest-Paying States
View salaries as:
1
California
$87,890+4.8%
🏆
2
New Jersey
$84,850+3.9%
🏆
3
Washington
$83,630+5.1%
🏆
4
New York
$80,950+3.7%
🏆
5
Illinois
$75,610+4.2%
🏆
6
Nevada
$74,920+5.4%
🏆
7
Connecticut
$73,580+3.5%
🏆
8
Massachusetts
$72,840+3.8%
🏆
9
Oregon
$71,560+4.9%
🏆
10
Colorado
$69,280+4.6%
🏆
Historical Analysis
6-Year Salary Growth Trend
National average firefighter salary evolution from 2020 through 2025, showing compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3%.
2020
$53,030+2.1%
2021
$54,370+2.5%
2022
$56,480+3.9%
2023
$57,920+2.5%
2024
$59,880+3.4%
2025
$62,400+4.2%
Total Growth (2020-2025)
+17.7%
CAGR (6-Year)
+3.3%
Inflation-Adjusted Growth
+1.8%
Market Intelligence
2025 Market Highlights
1
Accelerating Growth Trend
Firefighter salaries in 2025 show the strongest year-over-year growth since 2022, driven by labor shortages, union negotiations, and cost-of-living adjustments across major metropolitan departments.
2
Geographic Compensation Gaps
The salary gap between top-paying and lowest-paying states exceeds $40,000, with California firefighters earning 2.5× more than those in Mississippi ($35,560 avg). Cost-of-living adjustments narrow but don't eliminate these differences.
3
Officer Premium Expanding
Promotion to Lieutenant yields a median 31% salary increase over firefighter base pay. Battalion Chief positions command 74% higher compensation than entry-level firefighters, reflecting increased command responsibility.
4
Paramedic Credential Value
Firefighter-Paramedics earn 18-22% more than firefighters with basic EMT certification, with the premium rising in urban and suburban departments facing EMS call volume increases.
Research Methodology
Data Sources & Methodology
This report synthesizes data from federal agencies, municipal records, union contracts, and voluntary submissions to provide comprehensive salary intelligence for the fire service profession.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 data covering ~340,000 firefighters nationwide.
Municipal Payroll Records
Public salary data from 182 fire departments across all 50 states, including base pay and overtime for calendar year 2024.
Union Contract Analysis
IAFF collective bargaining agreements covering 85 metro and suburban departments, effective through 2025.
Survey Submissions
Voluntary salary reports from 847 active firefighters and officers, validated against public records where available.
Quality Assurance
• Data points validated against multiple sources where available, with discrepancies flagged and investigated.
• Outliers (salaries exceeding 3 standard deviations from mean) reviewed manually to confirm accuracy or exclude errors.
• State-level averages weighted by department size to prevent small departments from skewing results.
• All salary figures represent base compensation excluding overtime, unless specifically noted otherwise.
Explore More Salary Data
Dive deeper into state-specific salary tables, city rankings, and department-level compensation data.