Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

33-2011 Firefighters

Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
304,080 1.0 % $22.94 $47,720 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.81 $15.24 $21.84 $28.90 $36.31
Annual Wage (2) $22,480 $31,690 $45,420 $60,120 $75,520


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government (OES Designation) 274,930 4.98 $23.29 $48,450
Other Support Services 11,180 3.92 $14.88 $30,950
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 7,870 0.38 $22.66 $47,130
State Government (OES Designation) 7,130 0.31 $21.90 $45,560
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 620 0.24 $18.10 $37,640

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government (OES Designation) 274,930 4.98 $23.29 $48,450
Other Support Services 11,180 3.92 $14.88 $30,950
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 7,870 0.38 $22.66 $47,130
State Government (OES Designation) 7,130 0.31 $21.90 $45,560
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 620 0.24 $18.10 $37,640

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 110 0.01 $33.31 $69,280
Scientific Research and Development Services 300 0.05 $30.56 $63,570
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 40 0.03 $27.89 $58,000
Facilities Support Services (8) (8) $25.91 $53,890
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 390 0.08 $25.85 $53,770


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 33,200 2.36 1.00 $34.15 $71,030
Texas 24,130 2.34 0.99 $21.89 $45,530
Florida 23,210 3.24 1.37 $24.41 $50,770
Ohio 19,710 3.96 1.67 $20.45 $42,550
Illinois 15,530 2.79 1.18 $22.74 $47,300




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ohio 19,710 3.96 1.67 $20.45 $42,550
Maine 2,260 3.92 1.65 $15.25 $31,720
Rhode Island 1,730 3.83 1.61 $23.24 $48,340
Massachusetts 11,520 3.65 1.54 $23.67 $49,240
Wisconsin 9,170 3.47 1.46 $14.92 $31,040




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 33,200 2.36 1.00 $34.15 $71,030
New Jersey 4,000 1.06 0.45 $33.73 $70,160
Washington 8,130 2.99 1.26 $30.31 $63,040
New York 13,520 1.60 0.68 $29.44 $61,240
Nevada 1,680 1.51 0.64 $27.80 $57,830





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 9,520 2.66 1.12 $25.73 $53,520
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 7,840 2.05 0.87 (8) (8)
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 5,800 5.93 2.50 $23.40 $48,680
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 5,240 2.35 0.99 $19.81 $41,210
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 5,130 3.06 1.29 $24.96 $51,910
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 4,880 2.38 1.01 $24.59 $51,140
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 4,230 1.66 0.70 $20.10 $41,800
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 3,820 2.79 1.18 $33.71 $70,120
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 3,740 2.20 0.93 $24.69 $51,360
Columbus, OH 3,450 3.87 1.63 $22.28 $46,340




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 370 8.30 3.50 $16.46 $34,230
Port St. Lucie, FL 800 6.75 2.85 $27.28 $56,740
Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner, MA 300 6.36 2.68 $23.46 $48,800
Redding, CA 360 6.22 2.62 (8) (8)
San Angelo, TX 270 6.21 2.62 $21.51 $44,740
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 5,800 5.93 2.50 $23.40 $48,680
Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA 100 5.84 2.47 $20.06 $41,720
Flagstaff, AZ 320 5.69 2.40 $18.30 $38,050
Eau Claire, WI 420 5.48 2.31 $11.24 $23,380
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 670 5.43 2.29 $22.31 $46,410




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,920 2.19 0.92 $38.63 $80,350
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 1,830 1.93 0.81 $37.31 $77,610
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 340 2.57 1.09 $36.54 $75,990
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $36.52 $75,960
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 120 1.00 0.42 $35.93 $74,730
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA 720 4.35 1.83 $35.27 $73,360
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 3,820 2.79 1.18 $33.71 $70,120
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 1,810 1.30 0.55 $33.66 $70,010
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $33.48 $69,650
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 820 3.20 1.35 $33.09 $68,840

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,410 3.69 1.56 $15.65 $32,550
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 1,190 8.65 3.65 $11.07 $23,020
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,140 4.71 1.99 $12.56 $26,120
Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area 970 3.66 1.54 $16.10 $33,500
North Arizona nonmetropolitan area 880 14.12 5.96 $13.80 $28,700

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 570 14.38 6.07 $20.39 $42,420
North Arizona nonmetropolitan area 880 14.12 5.96 $13.80 $28,700
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 680 11.16 4.71 (8) (8)
Southwest Idaho nonmetropolitan area 190 10.48 4.42 $12.36 $25,710
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 490 10.19 4.30 $23.31 $48,480

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Oregon and Linn County nonmetropolitan area 250 2.68 1.13 $28.06 $58,370
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $25.54 $53,110
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $25.53 $53,090
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $25.20 $52,420
Southeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 60 1.68 0.71 $25.17 $52,350


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012