Firefighters pay range in Boston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,700 a year or less, while the top 10% make $118,540 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Boston earn between $62,050 and $81,110.
- $50K10th
- $62K25th
- $74KMedian
- $81K75th
- $119K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $75,400 | $6,283 | $36.25 |
| Median | $73,990 | $6,166 | $35.57 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $62,050 | $5,171 | $29.83 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $81,110 | $6,759 | $39.00 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Boston
On the average salary of $75,400, a single filer in Boston takes home about $58,424 a year, or $4,869 a month and $2,247 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NH | $61,874 | $5,156 |
| Working in MA | $58,424 | $4,869 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Is Boston a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boston area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.3), so the average $75,400 buys what about $69,643 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Boston ($66,620). A typical home costs $741,868, or 9.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other Massachusetts cities
Boston ranks 1st of 6 Massachusetts metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Boston$75,400
- Barnstable$73,310
- Springfield$66,880
- Worcester$66,380
- Amherst$56,480
- Pittsfield$56,180
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 Boston: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Boston?
$36.25 an hour on average, and $35.57 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Boston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,700 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,050, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Boston?
About $58,424 a year ($4,869 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $75,400. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Do firefighters earn more in Boston than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% more 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (14460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.8%.
- 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). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.42, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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