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Firefighters in North Carolina

Want to work as a Firefighters in North Carolina? Here’s what the data says. 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.

What do Firefighters Make in North Carolina?

For firefighters working in North Carolina, the median annual wage is $37,250 per year (or roughly $17.91/hour).Annual wages span from $28,360 at the 10th percentile to $64,140 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$28,360	$13.64
25th percentile	$31,300	$15.05
Median (50th)	$37,250	$17.91
75th percentile	$48,860	$23.49
90th percentile	$64,140	$30.84

The job concentration index in North Carolina relative to the national average — is 1.72, meaning that firefighters are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, firefighters earn a median of $31,415 per year ($15.10/hour), above the North Carolina median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 208,197 firefighters across the United States. In North Carolina alone, approximately 18,200 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 4,690 firefighters.

Top North Carolina Metros for Firefighters

The largest metro-area employers of firefighters in North Carolina.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	4,520	$37,530
Raleigh-Cary, NC	2,240	$46,050
Greensboro-High Point, NC	1,840	$47,150
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	1,210	$37,860
Winston-Salem, NC	1,050	$35,430
Asheville, NC	920	$37,050
Fayetteville, NC	790	$36,380
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	740	$34,790
Wilmington, NC	640	$37,400
Jacksonville, NC	350	$41,670
Rocky Mount, NC	230	$44,650
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC	220	$32,910
Burlington, NC	200	$36,780
Greenville, NC	170	$33,910
Goldsboro, NC	90	$35,640

Top States for Firefighters Employment

The table below shows the states where the most firefighters work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	30,400
California	27,580
Florida	21,470
Ohio	18,750
North Carolina	18,200
New York	14,730
Illinois	14,510
Massachusetts	11,910
Georgia	11,660
Virginia	10,820
Indiana	8,550
Wisconsin	8,010
Washington	8,000
South Carolina	7,570
Michigan	7,390
Alabama	6,930
Arizona	6,870
Missouri	6,740
New Jersey	6,590
Tennessee	6,510

Highest-Paying States for Firefighters

The highest-paying states for firefighters.

State	Annual Median Salary
Washington	$93,490
New York	$88,380
New Jersey	$87,660
California	$83,400
District of Columbia	$79,430
Illinois	$79,080
Connecticut	$77,660
Colorado	$76,560
Oregon	$73,270
Massachusetts	$73,110

Skills

Key firefighters skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for firefighters, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, firefighters typically:

• Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
• Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
• Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
• Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
• Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
• Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters.
• Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
• Inspect fire sites after flames have been extinguished to ensure that there is no further danger.
• Position and climb ladders to gain access to upper levels of buildings, or to rescue individuals from burning structures.
• Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires.
• Operate pumps connected to high-pressure hoses.
• Maintain contact with fire dispatchers at all times to notify them of the need for additional firefighters and supplies, or to detail any difficulties encountered.

Work Activities

• 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
• Getting Information
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Access

Related Careers

Careers similar to firefighters include:

• Emergency Management Directors
• Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
• Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers
• Forest and Conservation Technicians
• Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
• Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

Also Known As

Airport Firefighter, Apparatus Operator, Crash Fire Firefighter, Fire Alarm Operator, Fire Apparatus Engineer, Fire Chief's Aide, Fire Engine Pump Operator, Fire Engineer, Fire Equipment Operator, Fire Fighter, Fire Hydrant Operator, Fire Management Specialist, Fire Medic, Fire Suppression Technician, Fire Technician (Fire Tech).

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 33-2011.00