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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

33-2011 Firefighters

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.


National estimates for Firefighters
Industry profile for Firefighters
Geographic profile for Firefighters

National estimates for Firefighters:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Firefighters:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
311,350 0.7 % $ 27.09 $ 56,360 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for Firefighters:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 12.95 $ 17.24 $ 25.24 $ 34.07 $ 45.09
Annual Wage (2) $ 26,940 $ 35,850 $ 52,500 $ 70,870 $ 93,790


Industry profile for Firefighters:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Firefighters are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Firefighters, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Firefighters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 277,370 5.13 $ 27.64 $ 57,490
Other Support Services 13,720 4.60 $ 17.80 $ 37,020
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 9,310 0.42 $ 26.28 $ 54,670
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 7,660 0.37 $ 26.43 $ 54,970
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 700 0.23 $ 18.64 $ 38,780

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Firefighters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 277,370 5.13 $ 27.64 $ 57,490
Other Support Services 13,720 4.60 $ 17.80 $ 37,020
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 9,310 0.42 $ 26.28 $ 54,670
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 7,660 0.37 $ 26.43 $ 54,970
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 700 0.23 $ 18.64 $ 38,780

Top paying industries for Firefighters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Spectator Sports 30 0.03 $ 33.83 $ 70,360
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 320 0.06 $ 30.80 $ 64,060
Ship and Boat Building 110 0.08 $ 28.43 $ 59,130
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 110 (7) $ 28.36 $ 59,000
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 90 0.01 $ 28.29 $ 58,840


Geographic profile for Firefighters:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Firefighters are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Firefighters, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Firefighters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 32,600 1.98 0.89 $ 41.76 $ 86,860
Texas 24,690 2.04 0.91 $ 27.21 $ 56,610
Florida 19,000 2.25 1.01 $ 25.35 $ 52,720
Ohio 17,580 3.42 1.53 $ 24.25 $ 50,440
North Carolina 14,910 3.48 1.55 $ 16.46 $ 34,230




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Firefighters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Hampshire 2,430 3.93 1.75 $ 23.02 $ 47,870
Maine 2,130 3.70 1.65 $ 19.24 $ 40,020
North Carolina 14,910 3.48 1.55 $ 16.46 $ 34,230
Louisiana 6,230 3.46 1.55 $ 15.66 $ 32,580
Ohio 17,580 3.42 1.53 $ 24.25 $ 50,440




Top paying states for Firefighters:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 6,800 1.80 0.80 $ 41.77 $ 86,880
California 32,600 1.98 0.89 $ 41.76 $ 86,860
Washington 6,520 2.04 0.91 $ 37.36 $ 77,700
New York 14,200 1.63 0.73 $ 37.20 $ 77,380
Hawaii 1,810 3.15 1.41 $ 32.97 $ 68,590





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Firefighters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 15,770 1.79 0.80 $ 40.89 $ 85,040
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 10,680 2.45 1.09 $ 31.96 $ 66,480
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 9,970 1.71 0.76 $ 48.19 $ 100,230
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,400 2.06 0.92 $ 30.46 $ 63,360
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 7,350 2.82 1.26 $ 32.50 $ 67,590
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 6,560 2.17 0.97 $ 33.35 $ 69,370
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 6,120 2.32 1.04 $ 20.03 $ 41,660
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 5,920 1.99 0.89 $ 26.03 $ 54,140
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,680 1.87 0.83 $ 33.17 $ 68,980
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 4,030 3.33 1.49 $ 16.61 $ 34,540




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Firefighters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 440 8.79 3.93 $ 21.81 $ 45,360
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 500 6.71 3.00 $ 21.82 $ 45,390
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 790 6.24 2.79 $ 26.27 $ 54,650
Yakima, WA 560 6.23 2.78 $ 29.85 $ 62,080
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 200 6.19 2.77 $ 17.51 $ 36,420
Mansfield, OH 270 5.99 2.68 $ 19.00 $ 39,520
Leominster-Gardner, MA 280 5.85 2.61 $ 28.47 $ 59,220
Hinesville, GA 100 5.74 2.57 $ 20.26 $ 42,130
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 910 5.57 2.49 $ 19.82 $ 41,220
Jacksonville, NC 250 5.48 2.45 $ 19.29 $ 40,120




Top paying metropolitan areas for Firefighters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,340 1.21 0.54 $ 60.43 $ 125,680
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,530 1.51 0.68 $ 52.63 $ 109,480
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 370 2.75 1.23 $ 50.80 $ 105,670
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 9,970 1.71 0.76 $ 48.19 $ 100,230
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 630 2.12 0.95 $ 47.72 $ 99,260
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,080 1.58 0.70 $ 41.79 $ 86,930
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 15,770 1.79 0.80 $ 40.89 $ 85,040
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 290 2.59 1.16 $ 40.45 $ 84,140
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 1,830 1.60 0.72 $ 39.93 $ 83,060
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 300 1.65 0.74 $ 39.40 $ 81,950

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Firefighters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,370 3.62 1.62 $ 14.33 $ 29,800
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,220 4.96 2.22 $ 13.84 $ 28,790
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,150 11.88 5.31 $ 23.31 $ 48,480
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,030 4.30 1.92 $ 14.48 $ 30,120
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 900 5.47 2.44 (8) (8)

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Firefighters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 810 14.74 6.58 $ 23.48 $ 48,850
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,150 11.88 5.31 $ 23.31 $ 48,480
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 450 7.93 3.54 $ 25.71 $ 53,490
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 460 7.87 3.52 (8) (8)
Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 350 7.58 3.39 $ 17.46 $ 36,320

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Firefighters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 450 3.80 1.70 $ 33.72 $ 70,150
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 500 5.42 2.42 $ 32.22 $ 67,010
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 30.97 $ 64,420
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 370 3.67 1.64 $ 29.20 $ 60,740
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 150 1.11 0.49 $ 27.81 $ 57,850


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021