Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Colorado | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $74,170 | $62,011 | +20% |
| Median hourly wage | $35.66 | $29.81 | +20% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $71,940.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in Colorado is $74,170, or about $35.66 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. Colorado is +20% above the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in Colorado typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 6,510 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $74,170, Colorado offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 284 of the 738 occupations reported in Colorado — higher than 62% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $126,810, Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $105,480, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at $102,580 — all figures are median annual wages for Colorado.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Colorado levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 105.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 284 of the 738 occupations reported in Colorado — higher than 62% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Colorado | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $126,810 | $2,790 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $105,480 | $1,930 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $102,580 | $1,900 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $97,350 | $9,610 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $85,750 | — |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $81,460 | $810 |
Colorado levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 105.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 738 occupations in Colorado.