Protective Service
Firefighters
SOC 33-2011
Respond to fires, accidents, and emergencies, often the first on scene.
The job
Median pay
$59k
$44k to $77k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing
+3.7% projected
Openings a year
27k
BLS projection
Typical education
Postsecondary cert
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
14/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
17th pct
More exposed than 17% of occupations · modeled estimate · 20th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
56/100
Key skills
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 31,470 | 1.7 | 0.8× | $85k |
| Texas | 28,170 | 2.0 | 0.9× | $60k |
| Florida | 24,570 | 2.5 | 1.1× | $59k |
| North Carolina | 19,410 | 3.9 | 1.8× | $38k |
| Illinois | 18,400 | 3.0 | 1.4× | $78k |
| Ohio | 18,100 | 3.3 | 1.5× | $59k |
| New York | 12,950 | 1.3 | 0.6× | $101k |
| Georgia | 12,700 | 2.6 | 1.2× | $47k |
| Massachusetts | 11,940 | 3.3 | 1.5× | $73k |
| Virginia | 11,160 | 2.7 | 1.2× | $59k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 8,530 | 2.7 | 1.2× | $63k |
| Wisconsin | 8,120 | 2.8 | 1.2× | $47k |
| South Carolina | 7,780 | 3.4 | 1.5× | $43k |
| Washington | 7,560 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $95k |
| Arizona | 7,500 | 2.3 | 1.0× | $59k |
| New Jersey | 7,500 | 1.7 | 0.8× | $84k |
| Alabama | 7,260 | 3.4 | 1.5× | $48k |
| Tennessee | 7,020 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $49k |
| Michigan | 6,610 | 1.5 | 0.7× | $55k |
| Missouri | 6,580 | 2.2 | 1.0× | $49k |
| Colorado | 6,510 | 2.3 | 1.0× | $74k |
| Minnesota | 5,810 | 2.0 | 0.9× | $38k |
| Maryland | 5,340 | 1.9 | 0.9× | $74k |
| Louisiana | 5,230 | 2.7 | 1.2× | $33k |
| Kentucky | 5,150 | 2.6 | 1.2× | $37k |
| Pennsylvania | 5,020 | 0.8 | 0.4× | $73k |
| Oklahoma | 4,150 | 2.4 | 1.1× | $50k |
| Oregon | 3,790 | 1.9 | 0.9× | $71k |
| Kansas | 3,360 | 2.3 | 1.1× | $46k |
| Connecticut | 2,970 | 1.8 | 0.8× | $78k |
| Mississippi | 2,920 | 2.5 | 1.1× | $36k |
| Utah | 2,870 | 1.7 | 0.7× | $48k |
| New Hampshire | 2,700 | 4.0 | 1.8× | $57k |
| Nevada | 2,640 | 1.7 | 0.8× | $67k |
| Arkansas | 2,480 | 1.9 | 0.8× | $40k |
| Maine | 2,480 | 3.9 | 1.7× | $48k |
| New Mexico | 2,420 | 2.8 | 1.3× | $42k |
| Idaho | 2,240 | 2.6 | 1.2× | $47k |
| Iowa | 2,170 | 1.4 | 0.6× | $56k |
| Hawaii | 1,917 | 3.1 | 1.4× | $66k~ |
| Rhode Island | 1,620 | 3.2 | 1.4× | $67k |
| Washington DC | 1,480 | 2.1 | 0.9× | $76k |
| Nebraska | 1,070 | 1.0 | 0.5× | $61k |
| Alaska | 1,040 | 3.2 | 1.4× | $59k |
| Montana | 1,010 | 2.0 | 0.9× | $59k |
| West Virginia | 900 | 1.3 | 0.6× | $37k |
| North Dakota | 820 | 1.9 | 0.9× | $55k |
| Wyoming | 680 | 2.4 | 1.1× | $58k |
| South Dakota | 610 | 1.3 | 0.6× | $48k |
| Delaware | 560 | 1.2 | 0.5× | $47k |
| Vermont | 443 | 1.5 | 0.7× | $46k~ |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ14,960 jobs · $106k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN14,560 jobs · $83k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX8,780 jobs · $65k median
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH8,510 jobs · $74k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV7,610 jobs · $67k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA7,200 jobs · $98k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL6,600 jobs · $76k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA6,350 jobs · $47k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Firefighters interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.