Firefighters Career, Salary and Skills
Firefighters have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $59,280 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 345,990. Wage data is published for 398 locations.
Occupation description
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.
O*NET code
33-2011.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$59,280
Hourly median
$28.50
Employment
345,990
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Active Learning | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Speaking | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Service Orientation | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.12 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injured persons or provide emergency medical care such as basic or advanced life support.
- Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
- Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
- Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
- Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
- Search to locate fire survivors.
- Operate pumps connected to high-pressure hoses.
- Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
Technology
- Affiliated Computer Services ACS FIREHOUSE
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Email software
- Fire incident reporting systems
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Incident command system ICS software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
- Plume modeling software
Firefighters salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Firefighters Salary in CAMedian $85,120 · Employment 31,470
- Firefighters Salary in TXMedian $60,180 · Employment 28,170
- Firefighters Salary in FLMedian $58,550 · Employment 24,570
- Firefighters Salary in NCMedian $37,940 · Employment 19,410
- Firefighters Salary in ILMedian $78,380 · Employment 18,400
- Firefighters Salary in OHMedian $59,370 · Employment 18,100
- Firefighters Salary in New York, NYMedian $106,420 · Employment 14,960
- Firefighters Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $82,820 · Employment 14,560
- Firefighters Salary in NYMedian $100,960 · Employment 12,950
- Firefighters Salary in GAMedian $46,550 · Employment 12,700
- Firefighters Salary in MAMedian $72,800 · Employment 11,940
- Firefighters Salary in VAMedian $58,670 · Employment 11,160
Related careers
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersNational median $95,320
- Sailors and Marine OilersNational median $51,520
- Forest and Conservation TechniciansNational median $54,560
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and InspectorsNational median $115,160
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler OperatorsNational median $78,620
- Emergency Management DirectorsNational median $93,330
- Hazardous Materials Removal WorkersNational median $49,450
- Security GuardsNational median $38,020
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.