Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Iowa | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $55,810 | $62,011 | -10% |
| Median hourly wage | $26.83 | $29.81 | -10% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $63,565.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in Iowa is $55,810, or about $26.83 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. Iowa is -10% below the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in Iowa typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 2,170 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $55,810, Iowa offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 384 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 46% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $98,840, Fish and Game Wardens at $98,260, Fire Inspectors and Investigators at $81,860 — all figures are median annual wages for Iowa.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Iowa 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 90.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 384 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 46% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Iowa | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $98,840 | $1,370 |
| Fish and Game Wardens | $98,260 | $120 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $81,860 | $30 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $79,560 | $410 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $76,010 | $600 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $74,470 | $5,130 |
Iowa 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 90.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 711 occupations in Iowa.