Money · 1 of 5
What the survey says firefighters make
Median, all firefighters
$59,280
Bottom tenth
$34,910
Captain or superintendent
$101,040
The national median is $59,280 a year, and the bottom tenth start near $34,910. Read it carefully: the survey lumps wildland firefighters in with city fire departments under one occupation. A federal wildland firefighter's base pay is lower than the median, and the annual total depends on how much overtime and hazard pay the season delivers.