When three firefighters died fighting wildfires on the Colorado–Utah border, the tragedy landed alongside another stark reality: firefighter pay differs dramatically across the United States. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2024, MISRYOUM laid o
Three firefighters recently lost their lives while fighting wildfires on the Colorado–Utah border. part of a surge driven by hot and dry weather paired with windy conditions. Arizona has also been hit. and the recurring intensity of these outbreaks has brought attention to the risk firefighters face—and the uneven economics behind the jobs.
The question most people don’t ask until they see the numbers is uncomfortable: what does pay look like for firefighters across the country, and how much does it vary?
To map that gap. the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics was used with the most recent data from May 2024. showing median annual salaries of firefighters in every US state. The data also includes overall salary ranges by state, from the low-end 10th percentile to the high-end 90th percentile.
Hawaii was not included in the BLS data.
Colorado’s median annual salary for firefighters is $76,560. The 10th percentile is $47,030 and the 90th percentile reaches $109,680.
In Utah, the median annual salary is $49,270, with $35,890 at the 10th percentile and $81,240 at the 90th percentile.
The spread doesn’t stop in the Mountain West. California’s median annual salary is $83,400, rising from $51,580 at the 10th percentile to $143,830 at the 90th percentile.
Washington’s firefighters show another high end: the median annual salary is $93,490, with the 10th percentile at $41,650 and the 90th percentile at $118,460.
In contrast, Louisiana posts a much lower median annual salary of $33,700, with $23,320 at the 10th percentile and $52,080 at the 90th percentile.
The differences appear across the country in ways that can be hard to square with the shared danger of the work. Alabama’s median annual salary is $47,490 (10th percentile: $30,880; 90th percentile: $73,360). Alaska’s is $63,220 (10th percentile: $31,600; 90th percentile: $87,940). Arizona’s is $58,650 (10th percentile: $36,650; 90th percentile: $79,780). New Jersey’s is $87,660 (10th percentile: $47,090; 90th percentile: $124,980). Ohio’s is $59,470 (10th percentile: $35,420; 90th percentile: $87,160).
A labor leader traced the wage swings to fundamentals that don’t show up in headlines but shape paychecks. Chris Lake. director of collective bargaining for the International Association of Firefighters. said many factors contribute to pay differences from state to state—starting with differences in cost of living. housing prices. taxes. and other factors.
Lake also pointed to the fact that budgets and pay can vary widely at the local level. “There’s an old saying: If you’ve seen one fire department. well. you’ve only seen one fire department. ” Lake said. The differences in the type of department—local. county/regional. state. or federal—paired with balancing a budget for other agencies and services adds complexity. he said. “The pay a career firefighter receives usually comes from tax dollars at the department’s respective level of government.”.
There is, Lake said, “no uniform method anywhere that says, ‘This is how you’re going to fund emergency services.’”
He added that a department’s location and the makeup of the response area can play a role. Some fire departments train for responding to fires in dense cities with skyscrapers. while others prepare for wildfires and water rescue. Those differences in response, training, and equipment, Lake said, could affect budgeting and pay.
Another crucial detail is who fills the ranks. Nearly 70% of firefighters in the US are volunteers, according to FEMA. Many states heavily rely on their services, and while volunteers may receive benefits such as tax credits and certifications, they respond to emergencies without a regular paycheck.
Taken together, the figures underscore that the number on a firefighter’s pay stub is determined by a host of variables—department structure, funding pathways, local budget pressures, and the training and response demands of the communities being protected.
What makes the pay spread especially stark is how quickly wildfire conditions can turn lethal. In Colorado and Utah. the combination of hot and dry weather with windy conditions has already proved deadly for three firefighters this recent wave. For readers. the payroll numbers don’t replace the urgency of the scene—but they do sharpen the contrast: the job is shared across the country. while compensation isn’t.
firefighters wildfires Colorado Utah firefighter pay wages by state Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics collective bargaining International Association of Firefighters FEMA volunteers climate crisis