Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| North Carolina | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $37,940 | $62,011 | -39% |
| Median hourly wage | $18.24 | $29.81 | -39% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $40,233.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in North Carolina is $37,940, or about $18.24 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. North Carolina is -39% below the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in North Carolina typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 19,410 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $37,940, North Carolina offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 650 of the 745 occupations reported in North Carolina — higher than 13% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $91,100, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers at $67,270, Fire Inspectors and Investigators at $66,820 — all figures are median annual wages for North Carolina.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. North Carolina 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 95.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 650 of the 745 occupations reported in North Carolina — higher than 13% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in North Carolina | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $91,100 | $4,820 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $67,270 | $1,090 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $66,820 | $870 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | $66,400 | $470 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | $64,540 | $1,300 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $63,280 | $3,360 |
North Carolina 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 95.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 745 occupations in North Carolina.