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Firefighters

	Median Wage (USD, 2025)	Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)	Projected Growth (2025-2035)
National Statistics	$59280	27100	3.4%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$59280

Median Wage (USD, 2025)

27100

Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)

3.4%

Projected Growth (2025-2035)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

Rescue people from hazardous situations.
Select tools, equipment, or technologies for use in operations or projects.
Assess characteristics of fires.
Relay information about incidents or emergencies to personnel using phones or two-way radios.
Locate fires or fire danger areas.
Respond to emergencies to provide assistance.
Operate firefighting equipment.
Examine debris to obtain information about causes of fires.
Prepare hoses or water supplies to fight fires.
Request emergency personnel.
Communicate with other workers to coordinate activities.
Patrol natural areas to ensure safety or enforce regulations.
Collaborate with law enforcement or security agencies to respond to incidents.
Demonstrate activity techniques or equipment use.
Attend training to learn new skills or update knowledge.
Maintain professional knowledge or certifications.
Prepare investigation or incident reports.
Participate in physical training to maintain fitness.
Protect property from fire or water damage.
Educate the public about fire safety or prevention.
Maintain fire fighting tools or equipment.
Inspect facilities to ensure compliance with fire regulations.
Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning.
Provide first aid or rescue assistance in emergencies.
Treat medical emergencies.
Implement advanced life support techniques.
Train personnel on proper operational procedures.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injured persons or provide emergency medical care such as basic or advanced life support.
Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
Search to locate fire survivors.
Operate pumps connected to high-pressure hoses.
Maintain contact with fire dispatchers at all times to notify them of the need for additional firefighters and supplies, or to detail any difficulties encountered.
Extinguish flames and embers to suppress fires, using shovels or engine- or hand-driven water or chemical pumps.
Maintain knowledge of current firefighting practices by participating in drills and by attending seminars, conventions, and conferences.
Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires.
Collaborate with other firefighters as a member of a firefighting crew.
Train new employees to control and suppress fires.
Position and climb ladders to gain access to upper levels of buildings, or to rescue individuals from burning structures.
Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters.
Participate in fire drills and demonstrations of fire fighting techniques.
Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
Inspect fire sites after flames have been extinguished to ensure that there is no further danger.
Patrol burned areas after fires to locate and eliminate hot spots that may restart fires.
Take action to contain any hazardous chemicals that could catch fire, leak, or spill.
Prepare written reports that detail specifics of fire incidents.
Protect property from water and smoke, using waterproof salvage covers, smoke ejectors, and deodorants.
Inspect buildings for fire hazards and compliance with fire prevention ordinances, testing and checking smoke alarms and fire suppression equipment as necessary.
Collaborate with police to respond to accidents, disasters, and arson investigation calls.
Salvage property by removing broken glass, pumping out water, and ventilating buildings to remove smoke.
Clean and maintain fire stations and fire fighting equipment and apparatus.
Inform and educate the public on fire prevention.
Participate in physical training activities to maintain a high level of physical fitness.
Orient self in relation to fire, using compass and map, and collect supplies and equipment dropped by parachute.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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