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Firefighter Salary

The firefighter salary in the United States is around $44,716 per year, while in Canada the median pay for a firefighter stands at C$62,398 ($47,442) per year. While in Australia the yearly pay for this job is AU$65,874 ($48,776).

Firefighters in the UK make about £28,918 ($38,121) per year. In Switzerland, the median salary for this job is CHF81,385 ($81,763) each year. Meanwhile, in Norway, the yearly base salary is NOK403,243 ($49,744).

Firefighter Salary Influencers

The salary of a firefighter might not be among the highest, but this is an admirable occupation that brings rewards on all levels. Even though firefighters usually make about the annual wages mentioned above, there sometimes are big differences between the firefighter starting salary and that of an experienced professional.

firefighter salary

1. Industry

While we can’t really talk about an industry when it comes to the firefighter salary, we can discuss the types of salaries for employees in a fire department. For example, the firefighter paramedic salary is greater than the salary of a regular firefighter. According to Payscale, the paramedic firefighter salary is $51,072 a year, as opposed to the $44,716 that standard firefighters receive. The same source mentions the following positions and their annual salaries in the fire department:

  • Fire lieutenant salary – $55,256
  • Fire captain salary – $63,494
  • Annual salary for fire chiefs – $75,141
  • Battalion chief salary – $82,678

2. Geographical Area

Firefighter Salary US Canada UK Australia Switzerland Norway
Hourly Wage $14.33 C$27.11 ($20.61) £14.45 ($19.05) AU$25.36 ($18.78) CHF39.12 ($39.30)* NOK194 ($23.93)
Annual Wage $44,716 C$62,398 ($47,442) £28,918 ($38,121) AU$65,874 ($48,776) CHF81,385 ($81,763) NOK403,243 ($49,744)

*Means the hourly pay was extrapolated from the annual salary

Firefighter Salary in the US

As with most areas of life, location is key. The situation is no different for the firefighter salary in the U.S. In poor-paying states, the firefighter salary can be as low as $30k, while a top-paying state can bring even more than $80k annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median yearly salary in the United States stands at $51,930.

Firefighter Salary by State
State Annual mean wage($)
Alabama 39780
Alaska 57440
Arizona 45210
Arkansas 33440
California 67920
Colorado 50550
Connecticut 59400
Delaware 44490
Florida 51520
Georgia 34240
Hawaii 54550
Idaho 37480
Illinois 51070
Indiana 45510
Iowa 37850
Kansas 36980
Kentucky 32040
Louisiana 33210
Maine 32730
Maryland 56530
Massachusetts 57610
Michigan 44000
Minnesota 32860
Mississippi 31020
Missouri 47310
Montana 47050
Nebraska 51350
Nevada 60020
New Hampshire 42200
New Jersey 81590
New Mexico 37700
New York 66930
North Carolina 33270
North Dakota 42720
Ohio 44210
Oklahoma 43300
Oregon 62180
Pennsylvania 55120
Puerto Rico 25440
Rhode Island 52770
South Carolina 34150
South Dakota 41920
Tennessee 38510
Texas 49580
Utah 35030
Vermont 38560
Virginia 50440
Washington 67270
West Virginia 30890
Wisconsin 33940
Wyoming 42440

Firefighter Salary in Canada

Firefighters in Canada earn a median yearly wage of  C$62,398, with an hourly rate ranging between C$14.80 and C$44.14. Therefore, the total yearly pay is between C$41,718 and C$98,478.

Firefighter Salary in the UK

The firefighter salary in the UK is of £14.45 per hour,  with an overtime ranging between £12.77 and £20.57 per hour. While the total pay ranges from £20,647 to as much as £35,123 every year.

Firefighter Salary in Australia

In Australia, the firefighter salary reaches AU$65,874 each year, with an hourly pay of AU$25.36. These professionals also get paid overtime as well as bonuses and can check in from AU$48,860 to AU$96,697 per year.

Firefighter Salary in Switzerland

The mean firefighter salary in Switzerland stands at about CHF81,385 per year. There is no rate available for the hourly pay on Payscale.com but if we use the 2,080 working hours that are per year and we extrapolate from the yearly salary we get CHF39.12 per hour.

Firefighter Salary in Norway

According to SalaryExpert, the median salary for a firefighter in Norway is NOK403,243 yearly, with the hourly pay being around NOK194. Meanwhile, an entry-level professional can make up to NOK296,184 every year, while a senior on the job can win as much as NOK492 273 each year.

3. Experience

The level of experience is decisive when determining the potential firefighter salary. In the US, the fireman starting salary is at about $40,000 per year. From there, the salary progressively grows according to experience and abilities. Between 5 and 10 years the salary can reach $45,000, while with 10-20 years of experience can get up to around $50,000 and finally, after 20 years on the job, the firefighter can win $60,000 or more.

In Canada and Australia, we see a similar situation of raise in pay for this professional. From C$58,000 per year, respectively from AU$59,000 for an entry-level firefighter, the salary gradually rises until it reaches about C$80,000, respectively AU$81,000 each year, after more than 20 years in the field. Meanwhile, in the UK, the situation is a bit different. It starts with a beginner’s salary of ₤24,000 per year, the pay then goes to ₤29,000 after 5-10 years on the job, only to slowly flatten after that, and to barely reach ₤30,000 after more than 20 years.

Working Hours

Here is where the challenging part about the firefighter salary kicks in. This is one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. economy and in the world, with professionals constantly exposed to illnesses and injuries. They work long shifts and are exposed to health threats due to their hazardous working environment. As a result of these factors, firefighters are among the most respected professionals, and the general public holds them in high regard.

Bonuses & Benefit Packages

In the US almost all (90%) of firefighters have medical insurance which is indispensable considering the risks they expose themselves to every day. In addition to this, 67% of firefighters have dental benefits and 56% have vision coverage. Rarely (9%) do firefighters have no health benefits at all. Furthermore, firefighters always wear heavy duty protection gear on the job to prevent serious injuries that may occur due to the nature of this high-risk job.

As reported by Payscale, firefighters from Canada can receive a bonus of up to C$7,096 each year, with yearly profit sharing of around C$2,000. Meanwhile, those who live and work in Australia can get bonuses as much as AU$15,000 per year.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for firefighters is at 7% between 2016 and 2026, which is just about the same as the national average for all occupations. This means a number of 23,500 expected employment opportunities for this professional. The job outlook is not as high as other occupations because buildings are becoming safer every day. As a result, the number of fires will be visibly reduced. However, firefighters will always be needed to take care of unexpected situations.

For boosting one’s chances of getting hired as a firefighter, undergoing extensive firefighter training to meet even the strictest firefighter requirements is recommended. As is volunteering as a firefighter before trying to pursue a career in this direction. There are plenty of facilities that offer the opportunity of volunteering as a firefighter. Also, there are about twice as many volunteer firefighters than paid ones which means this is the best way to go.

Conclusion

Finally, the firefighter salary is satisfactory, but saving lives is priceless. For a person that wants to follow the career path of a firefighter, considering becoming a volunteer for several years and then moving to a state with a high employment rate and high salaries for firefighters is recommended. Also, another job that deals with helping other people, is the police officer job.

Comments

  1. Nelle says

    August 10, 2018 at 1:26 am

    Please teach the rest of these internet hogaiolns how to write and research!

    Reply
    • Jeffery Lloyd says

      August 14, 2018 at 6:40 am

      Hello, Nelle,

      Thanks for sharing your opinion. Have a great day!

      Reply

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