How much does a firefighter make?
Typical yearly pay for firefighters in the United States.
median pay per year, about $4,940 a month or $28.50 an hour.
That's more than 41% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #59 of 100.
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| Interpreter or translator | $60,170 |
| Water treatment operator | $60,020 |
| Heavy equipment operator | $59,850 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional officer | $58,940 |
| Embalmer | $58,780 |
| Title examiner | $58,650 |
Similar jobs
- Correctional officer$58,940
- Water treatment operator$60,020
- Mail carrier$60,550
- Private detective$51,220
- Garbage collector$49,690
- Police patrol officer$76,210
How much does a firefighter make per hour?
About $28.50 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.
Becoming a firefighter
The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.
About this number
This is the national median wage for the occupation “Firefighters” (code 33-2011.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.