59.4% higher than the US national median ($59,280)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Firefighters salary in Washington in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$48K
P25$72K
P50$95K
P75$106K
P90$124K
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $94,515 to $105,539 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Firefighters pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role fell 0.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
the broader market is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.9 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.1M (4.3% rate); hires 5.2M, separations 5.1M, quits steady at 1.9%. July openings revised up 64K to 7.3M.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.3M (4.4% rate), but hires fell to 5.1M and separations to 5.1M. Quits slipped to 1.9%. June openings revised down to 7.2M.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Firefighters in Washington is $94,515 per year ($45.44/hr). This is 59.4% higher than the national median of $59,280.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.
Wage Percentiles: Washington
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$22.91
$47,653
+36.5%
P25
$34.76
$72,301
+62.5%
P50MEDIAN
$45.44
$94,515
+59.4%
P75
$50.74
$105,539
+36.6%
P90Top earners
$59.61
$123,989
+22.7%
How Washington compares for Firefighters
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Firefighters in Washington sits above the national range at every level: +36.5% at entry, +59.4% at the median and +22.7% at the top. The gap is larger at entry than at the top.
An offer at the national median of $59,280 would sit at about the 17th percentile in Washington.
The top of the range earns 2.60 times the bottom here against 2.89 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Washington.
Washington employs 7,560 people in this role, 2.2% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Firefighters
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.4%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
27K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
345K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
303K
$59,850
Other Support Services
NAICS 561900
19K
$37,520
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,520 to $59,850 (60% spread)
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median firefighters salary in Washington?
The median (P50) annual salary for Firefighters in Washington is approximately $94,515, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 59.4% higher than the national median of $59,280. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
