Firefighter Training and Jobs
Schools and Degrees
Many schools provide two-year and four-year degrees in fire engineering or fire science.
Training and Education
You'll generally want long-term on-the-job training for this career path. Of current employees, 18% graduated from college with degrees. Some 59% of firefighters attened college but did not go on to get a bachelor's degree. A high school education was sufficient for 23% of workers.
Job Overview
Fire fighters protect people and property from the dangers of fire. However, fire fighters are usually involved with other types of emergencies more often than fires. Fire fighters are often the first emergency workers at the scene of a traffic accident or medical emergency. They treat injuries and perform other important tasks. Firefighters work in various types of environments including metropolitan areas, rural areas, industrial sites, chemical plants and airports.
Job Requirements
Candidates for fire fighter positions are typically required to have a high school diploma. Completing some secondary education or obtaining an associate degree in fire science may improve an applicants chances for obtaining a job. In addition, fire fighters in almost all departments are required to be certified as emergency medical technicians.
Nature of Work
- Use systematic and careful procedures in order to extinguish fires
- Find and rescue occupants of buildings and homes
- Ventilate smoke filled areas
- Connect hose lines to hydrants and operate a pump to transport water to high-pressure hoses
Area Job Conditions
Finding employees is easiest in Palm Coast (Florida), Prescott (Arizona), and Kankakee (Illinois), and by comparison more challenging in Scranton (Pennsylvania), Harrisburg (Pennsylvania), and Nassau (New York).
The pay is best in Oakland (California), Vallejo (California), and Newark (New Jersey) and worst in Monroe (Louisiana), Wheeling (West Virginia), and Topeka (Kansas).
Part-Time and Self Employment
Firefighters working part-time accounted for 1% of those employed in 2008.
Career Videos
Firefighters by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)
In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.
Alabama
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston | $39,000 | 170 | +120% |
| Auburn | $39,000 | 120 | +61% |
| Birmingham | $44,000 | 1,660 | +74% |
| Decatur | $44,000 | 170 | +85% |
| Florence | $32,000 | 140 | +57% |
| Gadsden | $36,000 | 180 | +215% |
| Mobile | $34,000 | 500 | +51% |
| Tuscaloosa | $43,000 | 300 | +85% |
Alaska
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | $51,000 | 380 | +21% |
| Fairbanks | $42,000 | 120 | +128% |
Arizona
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff | $36,000 | 300 | +209% |
| Kingman | $35,000 | 360 | +349% |
| Phoenix | $50,000 | 3,680 | +7% |
| Tucson | $40,000 | 960 | +46% |
Arkansas
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville | $37,000 | 400 | +4% |
| Fort Smith | $31,000 | 290 | +28% |
| Little Rock | $40,000 | 910 | +36% |
California
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | $58,000 | 360 | -28% |
| Chico | $40,000 | 310 | +153% |
| El Centro | $46,000 | 220 | +159% |
| Los Angeles | $95,000 | 7,450 | -6% |
| Merced | $59,000 | 200 | +104% |
| Modesto | $63,000 | 240 | -17% |
| Oakland | $77,000 | 1,900 | -3% |
| Oxnard | $63,000 | 540 | -5% |
| Redding | 290 | +179% | |
| Riverside | $59,000 | 2,980 | +26% |
| Sacramento | $58,000 | 1,950 | +15% |
| Salinas | $64,000 | 600 | +101% |
| San Diego | $63,000 | 2,790 | +9% |
| San Jose | $74,000 | 1,750 | 0% |
| San Luis Obispo | 340 | +103% | |
| Santa Ana | $69,000 | 1,930 | -32% |
| Santa Cruz | $53,000 | 320 | +105% |
| Santa Rosa | 840 | +157% | |
| Stockton | $61,000 | 630 | +59% |
| Vallejo | $89,000 | 160 | -27% |
| Visalia | $53,000 | 230 | -8% |
| Yuba City | $51,000 | 160 | +152% |
Colorado
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | $47,000 | 260 | -9% |
| Colorado Springs | $46,000 | 810 | +68% |
| Denver | $56,000 | 2,090 | -14% |
| Fort Collins | $59,000 | 320 | +38% |
| Greeley | $52,000 | 280 | +118% |
| Pueblo | $54,000 | 220 | +124% |
Connecticut
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | $59,000 | 1,010 | +22% |
| Hartford | $58,000 | 1,060 | -5% |
| New Haven | $57,000 | 700 | +34% |
| Norwich | $50,000 | 220 | -2% |
| Waterbury | 250 | +110% |
Delaware
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | $49,000 | 30 | -66% |
| Wilmington | $46,000 | 290 | -54% |
District of Columbia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $59,000 | 3,340 | -30% |
Florida
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | $56,000 | 880 | +141% |
| Deltona | $38,000 | 520 | +82% |
| Fort Lauderdale | $62,000 | 3,110 | +129% |
| Fort Walton Beach | $42,000 | 260 | +92% |
| Gainesville | 300 | +34% | |
| Jacksonville | $38,000 | 1,580 | +35% |
| Lakeland | $34,000 | 490 | +38% |
| Naples | $53,000 | 390 | +91% |
| Orlando | $39,000 | 3,100 | +56% |
| Palm Bay | $39,000 | 850 | +128% |
| Panama City | $37,000 | 380 | +214% |
| Pensacola | $43,000 | 410 | +48% |
| Port St Lucie | $56,000 | 800 | +266% |
| Sarasota | $46,000 | 950 | +102% |
| Tampa | $46,000 | 2,600 | +16% |
| West Palm Beach | $62,000 | 1,900 | +89% |
Georgia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | $31,000 | 110 | +2% |
| Atlanta | $38,000 | 4,880 | +8% |
| Augusta | $32,000 | 470 | +21% |
| Dalton | $28,000 | 130 | +9% |
| Valdosta | $34,000 | 130 | +54% |
| Warner Robins | $33,000 | 180 | +95% |
Hawaii
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | $53,000 | 1,190 | +40% |
Idaho
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise | 510 | +2% | |
| Coeur Dalene | $41,000 | 150 | +73% |
| Idaho Falls | $33,000 | 100 | +26% |
| Pocatello | $27,000 | 120 | +146% |
Illinois
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | 80 | -35% | |
| Champaign | $43,000 | 300 | +61% |
| Chicago | $57,000 | 11,190 | +51% |
| Kankakee | $38,000 | 210 | +205% |
| Peoria | $41,000 | 460 | +44% |
| Rockford | $32,000 | 230 | -12% |
| Springfield | $30,000 | 220 | +12% |
Indiana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | $38,000 | 210 | +233% |
| Bloomington | $40,000 | 200 | +63% |
| Elkhart | $38,000 | 180 | -9% |
| Gary | $45,000 | 830 | +61% |
| Indianapolis | $51,000 | 2,990 | +71% |
| Kokomo | $35,000 | 130 | +101% |
| Terre Haute | $35,000 | 230 | +92% |
Iowa
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ames | $37,000 | 70 | +14% |
| Davenport | $44,000 | 370 | +5% |
| Des Moines | $33,000 | 450 | -29% |
| Waterloo | $40,000 | 100 | -35% |
Kansas
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka | 310 | +54% | |
| Wichita | $39,000 | 570 | +3% |
Kentucky
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown | $36,000 | 150 | +100% |
| Lexington | $33,000 | 520 | +13% |
| Louisville | $37,000 | 1,060 | -10% |
Louisiana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $27,000 | 620 | -14% |
| Lafayette | $30,000 | 100 | -62% |
| Lake Charles | $26,000 | 220 | +39% |
| New Orleans | $35,000 | 1,420 | +38% |
| Shreveport | $40,000 | 730 | +116% |
Maine
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor | $33,000 | 280 | +162% |
| Lewiston | 220 | +155% | |
| Portland | $33,000 | 900 | +137% |
Maryland
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | $59,000 | 1,590 | -38% |
| Bethesda | $51,000 | 620 | -45% |
| Hagerstown | 130 | -26% |
Massachusetts
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town | $43,000 | 460 | +155% |
| Boston | $52,000 | 5,140 | +50% |
| Brockton | $52,000 | 390 | +140% |
| Framingham | $44,000 | 450 | +47% |
| Haverhill | $41,000 | 300 | +104% |
| Lawrence | $52,000 | 200 | +93% |
| Leominster | $48,000 | 280 | +232% |
| Lowell | $53,000 | 360 | +63% |
| New Bedford | 220 | +94% | |
| Peabody | $52,000 | 320 | +73% |
| Springfield | $41,000 | 1,430 | +150% |
| Taunton | $46,000 | 220 | +190% |
| Worcester | $51,000 | 940 | +96% |
Michigan
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | $49,000 | 240 | -24% |
| Detroit | $49,000 | 1,230 | -6% |
| Flint | $35,000 | 240 | 0% |
| Grand Rapids | $48,000 | 360 | -51% |
| Holland | $34,000 | 140 | -20% |
| Jackson | $37,000 | 110 | +33% |
| Kalamazoo | $37,000 | 270 | +7% |
| Lansing | $41,000 | 380 | +1% |
| Muskegon | $32,000 | 120 | +24% |
| Niles | $31,000 | 130 | +29% |
| Warren | $49,000 | 1,350 | -36% |
Minnesota
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | $38,000 | 360 | +50% |
| Minneapolis | $34,000 | 2,710 | -22% |
| Rochester | $36,000 | 120 | -36% |
Mississippi
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport | $40,000 | 510 | +160% |
| Hattiesburg | $28,000 | 100 | +1% |
| Jackson | $33,000 | 430 | -11% |
| Pascagoula | $29,000 | 180 | +129% |
Missouri
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin | $27,000 | 130 | -8% |
| Kansas City | $46,000 | 2,330 | +17% |
| Springfield | $29,000 | 270 | -25% |
| St Joseph | $33,000 | 120 | +38% |
| St Louis | $51,000 | 2,810 | +7% |
Montana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | $45,000 | 70 | +15% |
| Missoula | $50,000 | 150 | +67% |
Nebraska
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | $40,000 | 210 | -30% |
| Omaha | $51,000 | 720 | -21% |
Nevada
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | $63,000 | 1,120 | -33% |
| Reno | $52,000 | 400 | +11% |
New Hampshire
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashua | $51,000 | 330 | +30% |
| Portsmouth | $50,000 | 110 | +10% |
| Rochester | $44,000 | 100 | +8% |
New Jersey
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City | $70,000 | 320 | +19% |
| Camden | $59,000 | 500 | -51% |
| Edison | $61,000 | 770 | -62% |
| Newark | $79,000 | 1,730 | -12% |
| Trenton | $58,000 | 290 | -33% |
| Vineland | $49,000 | 90 | -14% |
New Mexico
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $38,000 | 880 | +18% |
| Farmington | $38,000 | 90 | +6% |
New York
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | $50,000 | 450 | -49% |
| Buffalo | $59,000 | 1,090 | +1% |
| Poughkeepsie | $55,000 | 560 | +19% |
| Rochester | $57,000 | 730 | -26% |
| Syracuse | $49,000 | 410 | -32% |
North Carolina
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | $29,000 | 600 | +80% |
| Burlington | $28,000 | 150 | +53% |
| Charlotte | $33,000 | 2,960 | +77% |
| Durham | $27,000 | 480 | -9% |
| Fayetteville | $33,000 | 620 | +165% |
| Goldsboro | 100 | +48% | |
| Greensboro | $35,000 | 880 | +28% |
| Hickory | $28,000 | 400 | +46% |
| Jacksonville | $39,000 | 220 | +207% |
| Raleigh | $37,000 | 1,050 | +4% |
| Wilmington | $31,000 | 580 | +129% |
| Winston Salem | $27,000 | 580 | +45% |
North Dakota
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks | $46,000 | 70 | -15% |
Ohio
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | $44,000 | 1,290 | +108% |
| Canton | $32,000 | 500 | +60% |
| Cincinnati | $39,000 | 3,320 | +67% |
| Cleveland | $49,000 | 5,830 | +191% |
| Columbus | $46,000 | 3,490 | +94% |
| Dayton | $42,000 | 1,380 | +86% |
| Lima | $37,000 | 150 | +67% |
| Mansfield | $28,000 | 250 | +181% |
| Sandusky | $32,000 | 110 | +92% |
| Springfield | $34,000 | 210 | +157% |
| Toledo | $37,000 | 410 | -28% |
| Youngstown | $37,000 | 660 | +53% |
Oklahoma
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawton | 160 | +134% | |
| Oklahoma City | $45,000 | 960 | -15% |
| Tulsa | $28,000 | 700 | -16% |
Oregon
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bend | $54,000 | 120 | +9% |
| Eugene | $48,000 | 220 | -16% |
| Medford | $58,000 | 120 | -13% |
| Portland | $59,000 | 1,700 | -15% |
| Salem | $47,000 | 340 | +22% |
Pennsylvania
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown | $45,000 | 310 | -54% |
| Harrisburg | $42,000 | 240 | -61% |
| Scranton | $39,000 | 350 | -30% |
| York | $53,000 | 150 | -55% |
Rhode Island
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | $50,000 | 2,220 | +105% |
South Carolina
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | $31,000 | 130 | +33% |
| Charleston | $32,000 | 1,000 | +81% |
| Columbia | $37,000 | 490 | -28% |
| Florence | $25,000 | 100 | -29% |
| Greenville | $34,000 | 610 | +6% |
| Myrtle Beach | $32,000 | 480 | +141% |
| Spartanburg | $26,000 | 560 | +164% |
| Sumter | $33,000 | 120 | +125% |
Tennessee
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | $34,000 | 470 | +8% |
| Clarksville | $40,000 | 220 | +57% |
| Jackson | $36,000 | 140 | +37% |
| Johnson City | $36,000 | 210 | +65% |
| Kingsport | $31,000 | 290 | +30% |
| Knoxville | $31,000 | 610 | -5% |
| Memphis | 1,440 | +20% | |
| Nashville | $38,000 | 1,240 | -14% |
Texas
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $48,000 | 2,150 | +40% |
| Beaumont | 290 | -4% | |
| Brownsville | $33,000 | 390 | +62% |
| Corpus Christi | $41,000 | 560 | +67% |
| Dallas | $49,000 | 4,690 | +14% |
| Fort Worth | $47,000 | 1,810 | +7% |
| Houston | $41,000 | 4,080 | -21% |
| Killeen | $43,000 | 300 | +26% |
| Longview | $45,000 | 320 | +85% |
| Lubbock | $50,000 | 290 | +25% |
| Mcallen | $33,000 | 360 | -18% |
| San Angelo | $45,000 | 280 | +303% |
| San Antonio | $50,000 | 2,690 | +57% |
| Texarkana | $44,000 | 190 | +103% |
| Tyler | $44,000 | 230 | +41% |
Utah
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan | $33,000 | 90 | +12% |
| Ogden | $33,000 | 410 | +9% |
| Provo | $27,000 | 400 | +25% |
| Salt Lake City | $38,000 | 780 | -34% |
| St George | $28,000 | 120 | +55% |
Virginia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $32,000 | 120 | -23% |
| Richmond | $51,000 | 1,390 | +16% |
| Roanoke | $40,000 | 490 | +68% |
| Virginia Beach | $46,000 | 2,780 | +88% |
Washington
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | $52,000 | 220 | +68% |
| Bremerton | $70,000 | 360 | +142% |
| Kennewick | $64,000 | 300 | +65% |
| Longview | $60,000 | 70 | +30% |
| Mount Vernon | $41,000 | 210 | +181% |
| Olympia | $65,000 | 330 | +84% |
| Seattle | $70,000 | 3,180 | +15% |
| Spokane | $58,000 | 870 | +124% |
| Tacoma | $65,000 | 1,120 | +121% |
| Wenatchee | $47,000 | 170 | +163% |
| Yakima | $38,000 | 330 | +120% |
West Virginia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $33,000 | 310 | +14% |
| Huntington | $34,000 | 140 | -33% |
| Parkersburg | $36,000 | 130 | +8% |
| Wheeling | $33,000 | 160 | +40% |
Wisconsin
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton | $35,000 | 330 | +56% |
| Eau Claire | $22,000 | 310 | +136% |
| Fond | 110 | +53% | |
| Green Bay | $33,000 | 500 | +58% |
| Janesville | $36,000 | 180 | +63% |
| La Crosse | $29,000 | 140 | +10% |
| Madison | $40,000 | 760 | +16% |
| Milwaukee | $35,000 | 1,680 | +3% |
| Oshkosh | $33,000 | 250 | +58% |
| Wausau | $27,000 | 160 | +37% |
Wyoming
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne | $48,000 | 100 | +40% |
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Fire Fighters schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.