Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Wisconsin | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $46,850 | $62,011 | -24% |
| Median hourly wage | $22.52 | $29.81 | -24% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $49,787.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in Wisconsin is $46,850, or about $22.52 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. Wisconsin is -24% below the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in Wisconsin typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 8,120 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $46,850, Wisconsin offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 549 of the 728 occupations reported in Wisconsin — higher than 25% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $97,120, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers at $96,260, Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $91,040 — all figures are median annual wages for Wisconsin.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Wisconsin 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 549 of the 728 occupations reported in Wisconsin — higher than 25% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Wisconsin | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $97,120 | $2,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $96,260 | $800 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $91,040 | $1,640 |
| Fish and Game Wardens | $89,110 | $150 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $83,310 | $1,330 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $78,090 | $12,320 |
Wisconsin 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 728 occupations in Wisconsin.