Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2015

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)
318,790 0.8 % $23.72 $49,330 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.06 $15.42 $22.53 $30.40 $38.22
Annual Wage (2) $23,010 $32,080 $46,870 $63,230 $79,490

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) 287,830 5.37 $24.08 $50,090
Other Support Services 11,720 3.96 $15.15 $31,520
State Government (OES Designation) 8,070 0.37 $22.85 $47,520
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 7,540 0.38 $23.89 $49,690
Scientific Research and Development Services 410 0.06 $28.35 $58,980

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) 287,830 5.37 $24.08 $50,090
Other Support Services 11,720 3.96 $15.15 $31,520
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 7,540 0.38 $23.89 $49,690
State Government (OES Designation) 8,070 0.37 $22.85 $47,520
Facilities Support Services 320 0.22 $20.27 $42,160

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (8) (8) $38.26 $79,580
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 60 0.05 $35.99 $74,860
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 80 0.03 $29.75 $61,890
Scientific Research and Development Services 410 0.06 $28.35 $58,980
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 370 0.08 $26.86 $55,880

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 34,100 2.20 0.95 $32.65 $67,920
Texas 27,890 2.41 1.04 $23.84 $49,580
Florida 23,640 2.98 1.29 $24.77 $51,520
Ohio 19,030 3.60 1.56 $21.26 $44,210
Illinois 18,030 3.08 1.33 $24.55 $51,070




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)
Rhode Island 1,880 3.99 1.73 $25.37 $52,770
Ohio 19,030 3.60 1.56 $21.26 $44,210
Massachusetts 12,110 3.57 1.54 $27.70 $57,610
North Carolina 14,530 3.52 1.52 $16.00 $33,270
Maine 2,020 3.41 1.48 $15.74 $32,730




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 5,300 1.36 0.59 $39.23 $81,590
California 34,100 2.20 0.95 $32.65 $67,920
Washington 8,000 2.68 1.16 $32.34 $67,270
New York 10,970 1.22 0.53 $32.18 $66,930
Oregon 3,280 1.89 0.82 $29.89 $62,180





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)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 9,920 1.53 0.66 $34.97 $72,730
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 9,630 2.70 1.17 $28.50 $59,280
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 7,810 1.90 0.82 $38.04 $79,130
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 6,580 2.65 1.15 $17.83 $37,100
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 6,480 2.21 0.96 $21.83 $45,410
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 5,780 2.48 1.07 $24.91 $51,810
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 5,190 2.95 1.28 $30.94 $64,350
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,210 1.74 0.75 $27.92 $58,080
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 4,130 3.70 1.60 $16.65 $34,620
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 3,990 2.95 1.28 $30.78 $64,020




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)
Prescott, AZ 600 10.35 4.48 $21.03 $43,750
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 350 10.27 4.44 $17.46 $36,330
Hammond, LA 370 8.95 3.87 $14.52 $30,200
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 310 6.97 3.02 $20.28 $42,170
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 480 6.88 2.97 $22.24 $46,250
Walla Walla, WA 160 6.63 2.87 $19.43 $40,420
Fayetteville, NC 770 6.18 2.67 $14.40 $29,960
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 780 6.07 2.63 $21.51 $44,740
Yuba City, CA 230 6.03 2.61 $14.59 $30,350
Mansfield, OH 300 5.99 2.59 $17.57 $36,550




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)
Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division 1,660 1.57 0.68 $43.19 $89,840
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 1,990 1.95 0.84 $41.39 $86,100
Newark, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 1,510 1.31 0.57 $40.92 $85,120
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $39.14 $81,410
Trenton, NJ 480 2.15 0.93 $38.68 $80,450
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 340 2.71 1.17 $38.44 $79,950
Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division 210 0.17 0.07 $38.40 $79,860
Tacoma-Lakewood, WA Metropolitan Division 980 3.53 1.53 $38.12 $79,290
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 7,810 1.90 0.82 $38.04 $79,130
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,170 1.16 0.50 $37.78 $78,580

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)
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 1,170 3.57 1.54 $18.80 $39,110
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 1,160 5.73 2.48 $14.59 $30,350
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 1,010 4.85 2.10 $14.55 $30,270
Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 990 7.11 3.08 $14.26 $29,660
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 990 10.38 4.49 $21.24 $44,170

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 510 12.82 5.55 $22.07 $45,910
Southwest Idaho nonmetropolitan area 220 11.59 5.01 $17.81 $37,040
North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 70 11.28 4.88 $17.24 $35,850
Northwest Washington nonmetropolitan area 540 11.02 4.77 $27.21 $56,600
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 990 10.38 4.49 $21.24 $44,170

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)
Southwest Washington nonmetropolitan area 200 3.23 1.40 $28.36 $58,980
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 120 2.07 0.90 $28.07 $58,390
Central New York nonmetropolitan area 130 1.05 0.45 $27.92 $58,070
Northwest Washington nonmetropolitan area 540 11.02 4.77 $27.21 $56,600
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 190 2.54 1.10 $27.07 $56,300

About May 2015 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 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 2015 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2015 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2015 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2015 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2015 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2016