Firefighters pay range in Seattle
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $73,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $124,000 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Seattle earn between $91,210 and $119,770.
- $73K10th
- $91K25th
- $101KMedian
- $120K75th
- $124K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $100,450 | $8,371 | $48.29 |
| Median | $101,090 | $8,424 | $48.60 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $91,210 | $7,601 | $43.85 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $119,770 | $9,981 | $57.58 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Seattle
On the average salary of $100,450, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $79,497 a year, or $6,625 a month and $3,058 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Is Seattle a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $100,450 buys what about $90,387 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 7.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other Washington cities
Seattle ranks 1st of 9 Washington metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Seattle$100,450
- Bellingham$93,600
- Bremerton$90,020
- Olympia$89,960
- Spokane$82,580
- Mount Vernon$79,750
- Kennewick$77,650
- Longview$77,330
- Yakima$60,890
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 Seattle: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Seattle?
$48.30 an hour on average, and $48.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Seattle?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $73,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $91,210, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Seattle?
About $79,497 a year ($6,625 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $100,450. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Do firefighters earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?
The average here is 52% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
- 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 no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.81, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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