Firefighters in Ohio

Want to work in Ohio as a Firefighter? Read this first!

You’re in luck! Jobs for Firefighters in Ohio are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Firefighters in Ohio is growing slower than average.

• Firefighters in Ohio earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Firefighter Career?

• Natural Resources & Conservation
• Natural Resource Management
• Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
• Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
• Fire Protection
• Fire Science
• Wildl&/Forest Firefighting & Investigation

How Many Firefighters Work in Ohio?

In Ohio, there were 19,210 people working as Firefighters in the year 2018.

There were 18,670 Firefighters employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 540 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 4,240 Firefighters working in it, which means Ohio has more Firefighters than average.

Job Projections for Ohio

Jobs for Firefighters in this state are growing at a rate of 2.6% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.2%.

Ohio Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates there will be 1,290 annual job openings, and 19,400 total jobs in 2026 for Firefighters in this state.

Nationwide, the prediction is 24,300 annual jobs and 350,900 total jobs in 2026.

What do Firefighters Make in Ohio?

In 2018 wages for Firefighters ranged from $23,850 to $71,510 with $45,910 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $11.47 to $34.38. The median hourly rate was $22.07.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $22.29 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate declined by $0.22.

The median salary in Ohio is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top Ohio Metros for Firefighters

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Firefighters.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	4,270	$40,200
Columbus, OH	3,930	$58,120
Cleveland-Elyria, OH	3,750	$50,080
Dayton, OH	1,460	$46,290
Akron, OH	1,140	$48,500
Toledo, OH	960	$53,690
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	740	$28,840
Canton-Massillon, OH	550	$32,690
Wheeling, WV-OH	280	$27,570
Mansfield, OH	240	$39,820
Springfield, OH	130	$36,230
Lima, OH	100	$52,530
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH	100	$28,280

Top States for Firefighters Employment

View the list below to see where most Firefighters work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	32,910	$74,700
Texas	29,110	$51,240
Florida	22,690	$50,620
Ohio	19,210	$45,910
Illinois	17,170	$52,650
North Carolina	14,870	$32,590
New York	11,880	$81,240
Massachusetts	11,640	$59,330
Georgia	11,280	$37,240
Virginia	10,160	$49,110
Wisconsin	9,450	$35,130
Washington	7,750	$75,200
Indiana	7,430	$50,560
Minnesota	6,840	$30,560
Michigan	6,640	$45,210
Missouri	6,500	$47,750
Arizona	6,380	$44,190
Louisiana	6,220	$28,200
Tennessee	5,710	$39,610
Alabama	5,680	$41,330

Below are the states where Firefighters get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
New York	$81,240
New Jersey	$76,380
Washington	$75,200
California	$74,700
Oregon	$67,820
Connecticut	$67,260
Nevada	$64,920
Hawaii	$60,420
Maryland	$59,870
Massachusetts	$59,330

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.