Firefighters pay range in Philadelphia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,580 a year or less, while the top 10% make $89,190 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Philadelphia earn between $57,050 and $89,190.
- $48K10th
- $57K25th
- $78KMedian
- $89K75th
- $89K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $74,200 | $6,183 | $35.67 |
| Median | $78,050 | $6,504 | $37.52 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $57,050 | $4,754 | $27.43 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $89,190 | $7,432 | $42.88 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Philadelphia
On the average salary of $74,200, a single filer in Philadelphia takes home about $58,752 a year, or $4,896 a month and $2,260 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in PA | $58,752 | $4,896 |
| Working in NJ | $58,478 | $4,873 |
| Working in MD | $57,717 | $4,810 |
| Working in DE | $57,364 | $4,780 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Philadelphia a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Philadelphia area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.6), so the average $74,200 buys what about $72,352 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Philadelphia ($54,310). A typical home costs $390,463, or 5.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Philadelphia ranks 1st of 12 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Philadelphia$74,200
- Erie$72,140
- Allentown$67,520
- Pittsburgh$65,920
- Reading$65,660
- York$64,130
- Scranton$62,370
- Harrisburg$60,640
- Lebanon$60,520
- Lancaster$58,360
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 Philadelphia: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Philadelphia?
$35.67 an hour on average, and $37.53 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Philadelphia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,580 a year and the 25th percentile is $57,050, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Philadelphia?
About $58,752 a year ($4,896 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,200. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do firefighters earn more in Philadelphia than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
- 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.62, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.62).
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