Firefighters pay range in Watertown
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,310 a year or less, while the top 10% make $73,180 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Watertown earn between $49,940 and $73,180.
- $40K10th
- $50K25th
- $61KMedian
- $73K75th
- $73K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $61,400 | $5,117 | $29.52 |
| Median | $60,700 | $5,058 | $29.18 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $49,940 | $4,162 | $24.01 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $73,180 | $6,098 | $35.18 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Watertown
On the average salary of $61,400, a single filer in Watertown takes home about $48,743 a year, or $4,062 a month and $1,875 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Is Watertown a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Watertown area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.7), so the average $61,400 buys what about $70,019 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Watertown ($47,600). A typical home costs $230,401, or 3.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other New York cities
Watertown ranks 9th of 9 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($92,410).
- New York$92,410
- Rochester$82,520
- Kiryas Joel$72,360
- Binghamton$69,960
- Utica$69,180
- Buffalo$68,280
- Albany$65,930
- Syracuse$63,910
- Watertown$61,400
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 Watertown: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Watertown?
$29.52 an hour on average, and $29.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Watertown?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,310 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,940, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Watertown?
About $48,743 a year ($4,062 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $61,400. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Do firefighters earn more in Watertown than elsewhere?
The average here is 7% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY (48060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
- 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.39, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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