Firefighters pay range in Birmingham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,860 a year or less, while the top 10% make $77,560 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Birmingham earn between $39,340 and $64,900.
- $35K10th
- $39K25th
- $51KMedian
- $65K75th
- $78K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $54,420 | $4,535 | $26.16 |
| Median | $51,050 | $4,254 | $24.54 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $39,340 | $3,278 | $18.91 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $64,900 | $5,408 | $31.20 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Birmingham
On the average salary of $54,420, a single filer in Birmingham takes home about $43,643 a year, or $3,637 a month and $1,679 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
Is Birmingham a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Birmingham area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.6), so the average $54,420 buys what about $59,382 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Birmingham ($47,770). A typical home costs $262,556, or 4.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other Alabama cities
Birmingham ranks 2nd of 12 Alabama metro areas for this job; Tuscaloosa pays the most ($64,370).
- Tuscaloosa$64,370
- Birmingham$54,420
- Huntsville$51,780
- Mobile$50,510
- Montgomery$47,490
- Daphne$47,410
- Decatur$45,700
- Florence$45,180
- Anniston$44,630
- Auburn$43,330
Highest-paying cities for firefighters
Bakersfield, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($199,490).
- Bakersfield, CA$199,490
- San Jose, CA$134,270
- San Francisco, CA$110,590
- Los Angeles, CA$108,860
- Seattle, WA$100,450
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Firefighters salary in Birmingham: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Birmingham?
$26.16 an hour on average, and $24.55 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Birmingham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,860 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,340, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Birmingham?
About $43,643 a year ($3,637 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,420. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
Do firefighters earn more in Birmingham than elsewhere?
The average here is 18% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($65,977).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-2011; area Birmingham, AL (13820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.05, this job is 2.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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