Firefighter Salary in Texas: $62,500 Average

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Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET

Average base salary, Texas

$62,500 / year

≈ $5,200 per month · $30.05 per hour

LocationOr metro areaOr industry

BLS May 2025 state data for Texas · median $62,500

25th percentile
$50,500Average
$62,50075th percentile
$74,500

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.

Firefighter salary by state

Alabama$51,500

Alaska$61,500

Arizona$63,000

Arkansas$45,000

California$98,500

Colorado$81,000

Connecticut$76,500

Delaware$55,500

District of Columbia$82,500

Florida$63,500

Georgia$49,000

Idaho$56,500

Illinois$79,000

Indiana$64,500

Iowa$59,000

Kansas$51,000

Kentucky$43,500

Louisiana$38,000

Maine$52,000

Maryland$75,000

Massachusetts$76,000

Michigan$58,000

Minnesota$47,000

Mississippi$38,500

Missouri$57,000

Montana$59,500

Nebraska$61,500

Nevada$73,000

New Hampshire$57,500

New Jersey$89,000

New Mexico$44,500

New York$90,000

North Carolina$44,500

North Dakota$60,000

Ohio$60,000

Oklahoma$54,000

Oregon$74,000

Pennsylvania$74,000

Rhode Island$70,000

South Carolina$45,500

South Dakota$53,000

Tennessee$53,500

Texas$62,500

Utah$53,000

Vermont$51,500

Virginia$60,500

Washington$92,500

West Virginia$41,500

Wisconsin$52,500

Wyoming$59,000

About this role

Firefighter is a professional role within the function in the Protective Service job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Firefighters do

Typical education: High School Diploma

Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.

Top skills: Critical Thinking Service Orientation Judgment and Decision Making Coordination Speaking Monitoring

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).

Firefighter pay by experience level

Entry level$36,000

Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)

Early career$46,000

A few years in (about the 25th percentile)

Experienced$61,500

Mid-career median pay

Senior$80,000

Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)

Top earners$104,500

Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)

Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.

Job outlook

+3.4%

projected change in jobs, 2024–2034

27,100

projected openings per year

Growing about as fast as average

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.

Firefighter salary by industry

Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS

323,330 workers

$67,500

Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)

302,660 workers

$67,500

Administrative and Support Services

19,590 workers

$43,000

Other Support Services

18,660 workers

$43,000

State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)

13,240 workers

$68,500

Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)

7,430 workers

$66,000

Ambulatory Health Care Services

690 workers

$39,000

Other Ambulatory Health Care Services

670 workers

$39,000

Educational Services

620 workers

$70,000

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

470 workers

$73,000

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.

How this role compares

Firefighter pays 6% below the average across 28 roles in the Protective Service job family (family average $70,500).

Similar-paying roles in Protective Service

Correctional Officers and Jailers$66,000

Transportation Security Screener$66,500

Bailiff$64,000

Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists$69,000

Private Detectives and Investigators$62,500

First-Line Supervisors of Security Worker$62,000

First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other$77,000

Fish and Game Wardens$77,500

Parking Enforcement Worker$53,000

Fire Inspectors and Investigators$81,500

Careers related to Firefighter

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$100,500

Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists$69,000

Fire Inspectors and Investigators$81,500

Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers$124,000

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers$35,500

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$97,000

Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Firefighter make?

The average base salary for a Firefighter in the United States is $66,000 per year, or about $31.73 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $46,000 and $80,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Protective Service roles?

The Protective Service job family averages $70,500 across 28 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
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