Money · 1 of 5
What the survey says firefighters make
Median for the group
$59,280
Bottom tenth
$34,910
Top tenth
$101,040
The national median is $59,280 a year. The bottom tenth earn $34,910 or less and the top tenth $101,040 or more (2025 federal wage survey). Read it carefully: the survey counts wildland firefighters with city fire departments under one occupation. A wildland firefighter's yearly total depends on how much overtime and hazard pay the season delivers.