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Fire Chief salary
Average fire chief salary
$69,961
How much does a fire chief make?
The average fire chief salary in the United States is $69,961. Fire chief salaries typically range between $40,000 and $121,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for fire chiefs is $33.64 per hour.
Fire chief salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Fire chiefs earn the highest average salary in California.
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Where can a Fire Chief earn more?
Fire Chief salary estimates from across the web
Average fire chief salary by state
Highest paying states for fire chiefs
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $105,280 | $50.62 |
| 2 | Idaho | $77,624 | $37.32 |
| 3 | Virginia | $86,879 | $41.77 |
| 4 | New York | $86,169 | $41.43 |
| 5 | Arizona | $75,063 | $36.09 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $83,337 | $40.07 |
| 7 | Maine | $86,003 | $41.35 |
| 8 | Oregon | $69,927 | $33.62 |
| 9 | Indiana | $83,779 | $40.28 |
| 10 | Washington | $70,583 | $33.93 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $86,835 | $41.75 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $75,706 | $36.40 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $68,504 | $32.93 |
| 14 | Alabama | $66,369 | $31.91 |
| 15 | Florida | $69,390 | $33.36 |
| 16 | Michigan | $62,507 | $30.05 |
| 17 | Iowa | $60,778 | $29.22 |
| 18 | Georgia | $64,210 | $30.87 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $60,997 | $29.33 |
| 20 | Delaware | $61,292 | $29.47 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $56,109 | $26.98 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $61,898 | $29.76 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $58,237 | $28.00 |
| 24 | Illinois | $66,547 | $31.99 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $60,056 | $28.87 |
| 26 | Maryland | $60,408 | $29.04 |
| 27 | Texas | $59,907 | $28.80 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $59,080 | $28.40 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $60,540 | $29.11 |
| 30 | Kansas | $60,630 | $29.15 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $58,938 | $28.34 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $57,565 | $27.68 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $59,323 | $28.52 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $56,479 | $27.15 |
| 35 | Ohio | $59,179 | $28.45 |
| 36 | Nevada | $52,584 | $25.28 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $55,569 | $26.72 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $45,233 | $21.75 |
| 39 | Utah | $49,514 | $23.80 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $55,525 | $26.69 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $54,648 | $26.27 |
| 42 | Vermont | $50,047 | $24.06 |
| 43 | Montana | $44,384 | $21.34 |
| 44 | Alaska | $43,822 | $21.07 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $54,112 | $26.02 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $53,441 | $25.69 |
| 47 | Colorado | $45,985 | $22.11 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $55,015 | $26.45 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $45,335 | $21.80 |
| 50 | Missouri | $48,443 | $23.29 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $44,193 | $21.25 |
Highest paying cities for fire chiefs
The highest-paying cities for fire chiefs are Sacramento, CA, Reston, VA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $111,370 | $53.54 |
| 2 | Reston, VA | $88,751 | $42.67 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $86,878 | $41.77 |
| 4 | Lakeland, FL | $70,366 | $33.83 |
| 5 | Kingsport, TN | $67,164 | $32.29 |
| 6 | Elmhurst, IL | $66,637 | $32.04 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $60,005 | $28.85 |
| 8 | Keller, TX | $58,343 | $28.05 |
| 9 | Farmington, NM | $56,478 | $27.15 |
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH | $55,794 | $26.82 |
| 11 | Reno, NV | $55,276 | $26.57 |
| 12 | Wentzville, MO | $49,213 | $23.66 |
Fire Chief salary details
A fire chief's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $121,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a fire chief's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $121,000 | $10,083 | $58 |
| 75th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| Average | $69,961 | $5,830 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
Highest paying fire chief jobs
The highest paying types of fire chiefs are company commander, deputy fire chief, and fire captain.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company Commander | $109,257 | $9,105 | $52.53 | 10,155 |
Top companies hiring fire chiefs now:
Which companies pay fire chiefs the most?
Fire chief salaries at CVR Energy and Akima Infrastructure Services are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average fire chief salary at companies like Icma-rc and Argonne National Laboratory are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CVR Energy | $174,601 | $83.94 |
| 2 | Akima Infrastructure Services | $107,242 | $51.56 |
| 3 | Icma-rc | $101,246 | $48.68 |
| 4 | Argonne National Laboratory | $96,552 | $46.42 |
| 5 | HollyFrontier | $91,041 | $43.77 |
| 6 | City of Cathedral City | $59,137 | $28.43 |
| 7 | Broward County Public Schools | $59,121 | $28.42 |
| 8 | Day & Zimmermann | $58,669 | $28.21 |
| 9 | SOS International | $56,651 | $27.24 |
| 10 | Ventura County Community Foundation | $56,387 | $27.11 |
| 11 | City of Louisville | $56,289 | $27.06 |
| 12 | City of Reno | $56,235 | $27.04 |
| 13 | IAP Worldwide Services | $54,142 | $26.03 |
| 14 | Air National Guard | $53,516 | $25.73 |
| 15 | Minnesota Limited | $52,334 | $25.16 |
| 16 | NANA | $52,083 | $25.04 |
| 17 | Central Missouri Community Action | $51,931 | $24.97 |
| 18 | City of Cincinnati | $48,141 | $23.14 |
| 19 | City of Farmington | $47,539 | $22.86 |
| 20 | City of Sacramento | $46,858 | $22.53 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Fire Chief salary trends
The average fire chief salary has risen by $8,302 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average fire chief earned $61,659 annually, but today, they earn $69,961 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for fire chiefs over the last decade.
Compare fire chief salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average fire chief salary over time
Compare fire chief salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Fire Chief salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,000 | $33.64 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | $69,000 | $33.18 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $67,700 | $32.55 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | $67,600 | $32.48 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | $66,100 | $31.79 | +3.1% |
Recently added fire chief salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Homeland Security | Assistant Fire Chief | Cape May, NJ | 12/14/2024 | $65,987 |
| Department of Defense | Fire Chief | Jackson, SC | 12/12/2024 | $103,409 |
| Swanzey | Fire Chief | Swanzey, NH | 12/11/2024 | $86,000 |
| Cities, Inc. | Fire Chief-City of | Noma, FL | 12/11/2024 | $140 |
| Braintreema | Fire Chief | Union, NJ | 12/11/2024 | $143,051 |
| Grand Blanc Township | Fire Chief | Grand Blanc, MI | 12/08/2024 | $98,000 |
| Maine Municipal Association | City of Portland-Fire Chief | Hope, ME | 12/06/2024 | $48,460 |
| Minnesota City Jobs | Fire Chief | River Falls, WI | 12/06/2024 | $104,312 |
| City of Fond Du Lac, Wi | Assistant Chief of Fire | Fond du Lac, WI | 12/04/2024 | $105,464 |
| Marathon Petroleum | Fire Chief | Robinson, IL | 12/02/2024 | $101,800 |
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