Firefighters: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Protective Service · SOC 33-2011 · O*NET 33-2011.00
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.
Firefighters fall under the Protective Service category in the U.S. occupational classification. Firefighters earn a median salary of $59,530 per year, ranking in the top 49% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.4% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What parents should know about firefighters right now
Firefighters respond to fires, medical emergencies, vehicle crashes, hazardous materials incidents, and natural disasters. It is a respected public-service career for teens who are physically active, calm under pressure, and team-oriented. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3 percent employment growth from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 27,100 openings each year. The median annual wage was $59,530 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $34,490 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $101,330; pay rises sharply with rank, certifications, and overtime. Most firefighters need a high school diploma plus a postsecondary nondegree award, completion of a fire academy, and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification before being hired; some departments require paramedic-level certification or an associate's degree in fire science. The biggest trend reshaping the role is climate change: U.S. wildfires now burn an average of about 7.1 million acres a year, a roughly 30 percent increase since 2020, turning wildland firefighting into a year-round profession and pushing departments to invest in drones, environmental monitoring, and wildland-urban interface tactics. Many departments also report sustained recruiting challenges, which means motivated candidates have real opportunity. Parents can support a teen's path through fitness training, junior firefighter Explorer programs, EMT prep courses, and clean driving and background records.
What do firefighters earn?
The median annual wage for firefighters is $59,530. That puts firefighters at #399 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $34,490 |
| 25th percentile | $44,180 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $59,530 |
| 75th percentile | $77,410 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $101,330 |
| Median hourly wage | $28.62/hr |
Is firefighters a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for firefighters is +3.4%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 344K positions in 2024 to 356K in 2034, a net change of 12K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do firefighters do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working firefighters, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters.
- 2.Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires.
- 3.Patrol burned areas after fires to locate and eliminate hot spots that may restart fires.
- 4.Collaborate with police to respond to accidents, disasters, and arson investigation calls.
- 5.Participate in fire drills and demonstrations of fire fighting techniques.
- 6.Protect property from water and smoke, using waterproof salvage covers, smoke ejectors, and deodorants.
- 7.Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
- 8.Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
Top skills for firefighters
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become firefighter?
Many firefighters enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$105,980 median
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators$93,580 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$92,430 median
- Transit and Railroad Police$82,320 median
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators$78,060 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers$76,310 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about firefighters
What is the median salary for firefighters?
The median annual salary for firefighters is $59,530 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is firefighters a growing career?
BLS projects +3.4% growth for firefighters from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become firefighter?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to firefighters?
Related occupations within the Protective Service category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.