An official website of Washington State government
Firefighters
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.
What a firefighter does
Become a firefighter
If you enjoy doing these activities, you might make a good firefighter
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
- Looking for ways to help people.
Discover what you could earn in Washington
- Typical hourly rate is $53 per hour with a typical salary of $137,900 per year.
- Half of workers earn between $34 and $62 per hour.
- Half of workers earn an annual salary between $32,100 and $149,700 per year.
- 64% of individuals in this occupation have been employed in every quarter of the past year.
Part-time
- The typical hourly rate for part-time workers is $20 per hour with a typical salary of $8,600 per year.
- 25.0% of individuals in this occupation worked part-time during the past year.
Firefighter job outlook
- There are 7,197 workers in this occupation in Washington.
- There are 595 openings per year in this occupation in Washington.
Multiple Jobs
- 6% of individuals in this occupation worked for more than one employer.
- 21% of individuals in this occupation held a position in another.