Firefighters pay range in Champaign
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,010 a year or less, while the top 10% make $90,900 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Champaign earn between $46,270 and $77,030.
- $35K10th
- $46K25th
- $62KMedian
- $77K75th
- $91K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $64,720 | $5,393 | $31.12 |
| Median | $62,190 | $5,182 | $29.90 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $46,270 | $3,856 | $22.25 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $77,030 | $6,419 | $37.03 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Champaign
On the average salary of $64,720, a single filer in Champaign takes home about $51,120 a year, or $4,260 a month and $1,966 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Champaign a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Champaign area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.7), so the average $64,720 buys what about $69,814 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Champaign ($50,700). A typical home costs $237,290, or 3.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other Illinois cities
Champaign ranks 4th of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Chicago pays the most ($80,110).
- Chicago$80,110
- Peoria$72,600
- Rockford$66,870
- Champaign$64,720
- Springfield$63,810
- Bloomington$63,070
- Kankakee$62,900
- Decatur$61,750
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 Champaign: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Champaign?
$31.12 an hour on average, and $29.90 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Champaign?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,010 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,270, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Champaign?
About $51,120 a year ($4,260 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,720.
Do firefighters earn more in Champaign than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Champaign-Urbana, IL (16580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.2%.
- 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 (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.44, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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