Firefighters in Pennsylvania

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

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

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

• Firefighters in Pennsylvania earn higher 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 Pennsylvania?

There were approximately 4,650 workers employed as Firefighters in this state in 2018.

There were 5,000 Firefighters employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 350 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for Pennsylvania

Jobs for Firefighters in this state are growing at a rate of 3.7% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.2%.

Pennsylvania Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 370 annual Firefighters job openings in Pennsylvania, and 5,550 total jobs in the year 2026.

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

What do Firefighters Make in Pennsylvania?

In 2018 wages for Firefighters ranged from $30,820 to $77,640 with $58,230 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $14.82 to $37.33. The median hourly rate was $27.99.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $27.04 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.95.

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

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Top Pennsylvania Metros for Firefighters

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

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	13,070	$85,840
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	3,730	$63,820
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	740	$28,840
Pittsburgh, PA	730	$56,570
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA	290	$56,910
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	210	$56,490
York-Hanover, PA	190	$59,760
Reading, PA	140	$27,130
Erie, PA	130	$69,530
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	120	$51,970
Lebanon, PA	40	$57,520

Top States for Firefighters Employment

The table below shows the states 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.