Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| North Dakota | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $55,080 | $62,011 | -11% |
| Median hourly wage | $26.48 | $29.81 | -11% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $61,888.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in North Dakota is $55,080, or about $26.48 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. North Dakota is -11% below the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in North Dakota typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 820 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $55,080, North Dakota offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 341 of the 556 occupations reported in North Dakota — higher than 39% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $98,300, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at $82,880, Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $82,290 — all figures are median annual wages for North Dakota.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. North Dakota 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 94.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 341 of the 556 occupations reported in North Dakota — higher than 39% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in North Dakota | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $98,300 | $440 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $82,880 | $130 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $82,290 | $420 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $80,320 | $40 |
| Fish and Game Wardens | $79,520 | $30 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | $76,400 | $80 |
North Dakota 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 94.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 556 occupations in North Dakota.