What You Need to Know About Firefighter
Job 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.
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Types of Firefighter Jobs
- Fire Equipment Operator
- Municipal Firefighter
- Marine Firefighter
- Wildland Firefighter
- Fire Fighter
What Kind of Firefighter Job Opportunities Are There?
In the United States, there were 327,300 jobs for Firefighter in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 23,600 new jobs for Firefighter by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 24,300 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Firefighter are Utah, Texas, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in New Jersey, Maryland, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Firefighter
The average yearly salary of a Firefighter ranges between $25,170 and $88,920.

Firefighters who work in New York, New Jersey, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Firefighters make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $41,740 |
Alaska | $51,110 |
Arizona | $45,150 |
Arkansas | $37,800 |
California | $81,580 |
Colorado | $61,160 |
Connecticut | $63,630 |
Delaware | $48,800 |
Florida | $53,340 |
Georgia | $38,060 |
Hawaii | $62,670 |
Idaho | $40,490 |
Illinois | $56,710 |
Indiana | $49,460 |
Iowa | $43,970 |
Kansas | $37,930 |
Kentucky | $33,520 |
Louisiana | $30,600 |
Maine | $36,750 |
Maryland | $61,780 |
Massachusetts | $60,080 |
Michigan | $45,440 |
Minnesota | $37,690 |
Mississippi | $30,370 |
Missouri | $51,100 |
Montana | $49,230 |
Nebraska | $47,880 |
Nevada | $66,830 |
New Hampshire | $48,640 |
New Jersey | $76,530 |
New Mexico | $36,590 |
New York | $73,710 |
North Carolina | $35,500 |
North Dakota | $42,980 |
Ohio | $46,310 |
Oklahoma | $43,450 |
Oregon | $66,330 |
Pennsylvania | $56,090 |
Rhode Island | $55,240 |
South Carolina | $36,300 |
South Dakota | $44,710 |
Tennessee | $40,280 |
Texas | $52,520 |
Utah | $37,960 |
Vermont | $37,070 |
Virginia | $51,510 |
Washington | $73,850 |
West Virginia | $36,820 |
Wisconsin | $40,310 |
Wyoming | $43,810 |
Who Employs Firefighters?

The table below shows the approximate number of Firefighters employed by various industries.

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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