Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Firefighters

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $59,280 Median per year · $28.50/hr Most earn $34,910–$101,040

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Participate in physical training activities to maintain a high level of physical fitness.
  • Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
  • Salvage property by removing broken glass, pumping out water, and ventilating buildings to remove smoke.
  • Patrol burned areas after fires to locate and eliminate hot spots that may restart fires.
  • Inspect buildings for fire hazards and compliance with fire prevention ordinances, testing and checking smoke alarms and fire suppression equipment as necessary.
  • Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 26,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals87.2%
  • Other support services5.2%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals4.0%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service2.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

Firefighter is an entry-level job. Many people start right after high school, a fire academy or recruit training, and often an EMT certification, so you can be on the job within a year or two of graduating.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong physical fitness, and take courses that build teamwork and basic science, since these matter for fire and rescue work.

  2. EMT certification and fire academy recruit training

    A few months to 1 year

    Complete emergency medical technician training and a fire academy or recruit program, which teach firefighting, rescue, and safety skills needed to be hired.

  3. Firefighter

    Ongoing

    Respond to fires, medical calls, and other emergencies, and keep training to build experience for promotion.

Where it can lead

  1. Fire Inspector

    1-2 years of experience first

    Move from responding to emergencies to checking buildings for fire safety, and investigating how fires start; this often requires added certification.

  2. Fire Captain

    1-2 years of experience first

    Lead a crew of firefighters on calls and supervise their training and daily work; promotion usually depends on experience, exam results, and leadership skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take health, biology, and physical education classesThese build the science and fitness background that fire and rescue training uses.
  • Join a school or community CPR and first aid courseEarly first aid training shows you can stay calm and help people in an emergency.
  • Volunteer with a local fire department or Explorer programMany towns have youth programs where you can learn basic skills and see the job up close.
  • Get a part-time job that builds teamwork or fitnessJobs like lifeguarding or working on a team show you can handle pressure and work with others.

In college

  • Take courses in emergency services, fire science, or EMS if your school offers themThese classes teach fire behavior, emergency medical care, and safety, which are the core of the job.
  • Earn an EMT certificationMany fire departments require or prefer this certificate, and it can be earned while in school.
  • Volunteer with a fire department or ambulance serviceHands-on experience shows hiring teams you are committed and understand the work.
  • Keep up your fitness and get a job that involves physical work or customer serviceHiring tests are physical, and jobs that involve working with the public build the communication skills firefighters need.

Tips for getting started

  • Get physically fit and practice swimming, climbing, and carrying heavy loads, since fire departments test these skills during hiring.
  • Consider becoming an EMT early, because many fire departments need or strongly prefer it and it makes you a stronger candidate.
  • Talk to local firefighters or ride along with a volunteer fire department if one is near you to see what the job is really like.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers