Firefighters
Firefighters earn an average annual salary of $100,992, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation).
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Firefighters workforce.
Employment Over Time
27,580 Workforce in 2023
The Firefighters workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Firefighters.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$100,992 Average Wage
In 2023, Firefighters earned an average of $100,992.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Firefighters.
Salary distribution for Firefighters.
Employment Growth Projections
0.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
111,092 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 1.3%
112,502 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 2.6%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Firefighters.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Firefighters and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Firefighters employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Firefighters.
Wage Trends by Industry
16.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Firefighters.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Firefighters.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 24,360 employees, $98,426 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Firefighters.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,420 employees, $121,302 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 2,720 employees, $85,298 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 2,530 employees, $73,646 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 2,140 employees, $110,597 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,880 employees, $119,981 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,780 employees, $87,828 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,310 employees, $112,866 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,180 employees, $146,428 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 740 employees, $76,094 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 680 employees, N/A avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Firefighters.
Diversity
Demographic information on Firefighters in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Firefighters in 2023 was 27,580 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Firefighters.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Firefighters.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Firefighters.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Firefighters in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Business.
Common majors for Firefighters.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Firefighters workers.
Education level distribution for Firefighters.
Skills
Firefighters need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Coordination, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Learning.
Required skills for Firefighters.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Firefighters.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Firefighters include Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, Building and Construction, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Firefighters.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Firefighters include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Static Strength, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Firefighters.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Firefighters.
Daily Activities
Firefighters spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Assisting and Caring for Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Firefighters.
About
Firefighters
The average yearly wage for Firefighters was $100,992 in 2023.
SOC Code
33-2011 - Firefighters
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Firefighters reports an average salary of $100,992, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 27,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.