Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Pennsylvania | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $73,460 | $62,011 | +18% |
| Median hourly wage | $35.32 | $29.81 | +18% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $75,266.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in Pennsylvania is $73,460, or about $35.32 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. Pennsylvania is +18% above the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in Pennsylvania typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 5,020 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $73,460, Pennsylvania offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 261 of the 778 occupations reported in Pennsylvania — higher than 66% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $102,400, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at $101,050, Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $97,580 — all figures are median annual wages for Pennsylvania.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Pennsylvania 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 98.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 261 of the 778 occupations reported in Pennsylvania — higher than 66% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Pennsylvania | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $102,400 | $5,690 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $101,050 | $1,340 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $97,580 | $3,370 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $94,600 | $1,520 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $85,470 | $26,510 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | $67,330 | $1,460 |
Pennsylvania 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 98.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 778 occupations in Pennsylvania.