| Rank | State | Firefighter median (USD) |
|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | $33,120 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $35,880 |
| 3 | Kentucky | $37,150 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $37,350 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $37,940 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $38,110 |
| 7 | Arkansas | $39,690 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $41,590 |
| 9 | South Carolina | $42,570 |
| 10 | Kansas | $45,900 |
How overtime and Kelly Day schedules shape pay
Most metro departments use a 56-hour average workweek (24 hours on, 48 off or similar rotation) plus a Kelly Day system that gives firefighters a paid day off every seven cycles to bring their average to 53 hours. This compounds to roughly 3,200 hours per year for a full-time firefighter versus the standard 2,080 hours for a 40-hour week job.
Mandatory overtime compounds further. Wildfire season, hurricane response, and major incidents generate forced overtime that can add 5% to 15% to total compensation in a busy year. The IAFF has documented that many career firefighters earn 30% to 60% above base pay in total comp after overtime.
Top-paying metro departments
Salary variation within states is often larger than variation across states because metro departments pay differently from rural ones. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area reports the highest metro firefighter pay, approaching $152,000 in some departments (Source: WageDex analysis of BLS OEWS). FDNY, LA County, and Chicago are consistently top-paying large departments.
Pension and total compensation
Total compensation for firefighters typically includes defined-benefit pension plans that pay 50% to 75% of final average salary at 20 to 25 years of service. Healthcare benefits are typically fully employer-paid for employees and partially paid for dependents. These benefits meaningfully close the gap between firefighter pay and higher-paying private-sector careers when measured as total comp.
How to compare firefighter offers across departments
Compare departments on base pay, annual hours scheduled, mandatory overtime norms, pension plan generosity, and healthcare premium share. A department with lower base pay but stronger pension and lower hours can win on total comp. Many firefighters also pursue paramedic certification, which adds 5% to 15% to base pay in most departments.
Frequently asked questions
(See FAQs above for the questions and answers.)
Methodology
Salary figures are the median and percentile range for firefighters from the BLS OEWS May 2025 release, SOC 33-2011. BLS OEWS measures base wages and does not consistently capture overtime, holiday pay, and shift differentials. Total compensation estimates include overtime norms typical of 56-hour average workweek schedules with mandatory OT.
Pension and benefits estimates reflect typical IAFF-aligned defined-benefit plans for career firefighters with 20 to 25 year vesting. Total comp estimates are illustrative and will vary by department. Verify all pay and benefits with the specific department's collective bargaining agreement or HR office.
Photo: Michal Maňas, CC BY, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Turnout_gear_in_the_Czech_Republic.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original)
Fazlur Rahman
