Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Massachusetts | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $72,800 | $62,011 | +17% |
| Median hourly wage | $35.00 | $29.81 | +17% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $68,809.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in Massachusetts is $72,800, or about $35.00 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. Massachusetts is +17% above the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in Massachusetts typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 11,940 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $72,800, Massachusetts offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 335 of the 717 occupations reported in Massachusetts — higher than 53% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $110,150, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers at $105,930, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $104,320 — all figures are median annual wages for Massachusetts.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Massachusetts 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 130.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 335 of the 717 occupations reported in Massachusetts — higher than 53% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Massachusetts | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $110,150 | $1,300 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $105,930 | $460 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $104,320 | $5,540 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $96,600 | $3,370 |
| Bailiffs | $86,730 | $930 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $86,310 | $6,360 |
Massachusetts 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 130.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 717 occupations in Massachusetts.