Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Illinois | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $78,380 | $62,011 | +26% |
| Median hourly wage | $37.68 | $29.81 | +26% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $78,380.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in Illinois is $78,380, or about $37.68 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. Illinois is +26% above the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in Illinois typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 18,400 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $78,380, Illinois offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 250 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 67% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $135,080, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at $123,500, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers at $105,450 — all figures are median annual wages for Illinois.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Illinois 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 100.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 250 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 67% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Illinois | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $135,080 | $4,900 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $123,500 | $3,240 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $105,450 | $2,860 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $100,520 | $29,180 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $91,190 | $3,270 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | $86,260 | $470 |
Illinois 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 100.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 747 occupations in Illinois.