Firefighters Salary in Chicago, IL (2024)
Firefighters in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median of $88,290 per year ($42.45 per hour) based on 10,560 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +48.3% against the national median of $59,530 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where firefighters actually sit across the pay range in Chicago, IL, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.89 | $41,370 | |
| 25th percentile | $26.25 | $54,600 | |
| Median | $42.45 | $88,290 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $51.50 | $107,120 | |
| 90th percentile | $59.20 | $123,140 | |
| Average (mean) | $40.45 | $84,130 |
How Chicago, IL compares
The local median of $88,290 runs +48.3% above the US median of $59,530 for this occupation; it pays 71.4% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,510); within the metro it ranks 163rd of 700 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL — this occupation | $88,290 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $59,530 | +48.3% |
| Chicago, IL — all occupations | $51,510 | +71.4% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $121,270 | -27.2% |
The location quotient of 1.10 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
Moderate confidence The relative standard error is 6.3%. Treat the headline number as accurate to within roughly 6%, and read the percentiles as a range rather than a precise point.
Ranked 163rd of 700 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Chicago, IL
To put $88,290 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 163rd.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $234,440 | 1,420 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $221,790 | 80 |
| Physicians, All Other | $215,680 | 14,850 |
| Pediatricians, General | $198,440 | 1,120 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $184,930 | 840 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $182,830 | 1,200 |
| Dentists, General | $175,140 | 3,980 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $168,230 | 21,760 |
| Lawyers | $166,090 | 28,380 |
| Financial Managers | $164,470 | 41,170 |
Where firefighters earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $37,530 to $121,270. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $121,270 | 3,410 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,250 | 15,770 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,220 | 4,150 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $99,210 | 7,200 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $88,860 | 2,900 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $88,290 | 10,560 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $85,300 | 1,670 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $78,980 | 3,440 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $75,590 | 5,280 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $75,230 | 2,720 |
See the full national picture on the Firefighters salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for firefighters in Chicago, IL?
The median annual wage is $88,290, or $42 per hour. That means half of the firefighters working in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $84,130.
What do the highest and lowest paid firefighters in Chicago, IL earn?
The bottom 10% earn $41,370 or less, while the top 10% earn $123,140 or more — a spread of $81,770 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $54,600 and $107,120.
Is firefighters pay in Chicago, IL above the local average?
Yes, it is 71.4% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Chicago, IL pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $88,290 the metro median is 48.3% higher than the US median of $59,530 for firefighters. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $37,530 to $121,270.
How many firefighters work in Chicago, IL?
BLS counts about 10,560 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 2.36 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 1.10 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 12.3%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.