The average salary for a firefighter in Illinois is around $78,380 per year.
Avg Salary
Firefighters earn an average yearly salary of $78,380.
Wages typically start from $38,900 and go up to $106,060.
5% above national average Updated in 2025
Firefighter earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$50.99 per hour
$106,060 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$49.77 per hour
$103,530 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$37.68 per hour
$78,380 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level firefighter earnings begin at:
$23.03 per hour
$47,910 per year
10th percentile
Starting level firefighter earnings begin at:
$18.70 per hour
$38,900 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Firefighter salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $94,520 |
| California | $85,120 |
| New Jersey | $84,130 |
| Illinois | $78,380 |
| Connecticut | $77,630 |
| District of Columbia | $75,870 |
| Colorado | $74,170 |
| Maryland | $73,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,460 |
| Massachusetts | $72,800 |
| Oregon | $70,900 |
| Rhode Island | $67,380 |
| Nevada | $66,570 |
| Indiana | $62,780 |
| Hawaii | $61,130 |
| Nebraska | $61,040 |
| Texas | $60,180 |
| Ohio | $59,370 |
| Montana | $59,310 |
| Arizona | $59,280 |
| Alaska | $58,830 |
| Virginia | $58,670 |
| Florida | $58,550 |
| Wyoming | $58,090 |
| New Hampshire | $56,620 |
| Iowa | $55,810 |
| North Dakota | $55,080 |
| Michigan | $54,640 |
| Oklahoma | $49,710 |
| Tennessee | $49,300 |
| Missouri | $49,080 |
| Utah | $48,310 |
| Maine | $48,290 |
| South Dakota | $48,160 |
| Alabama | $47,600 |
| Guam | $47,440 |
| Idaho | $47,320 |
| Wisconsin | $46,850 |
| Delaware | $46,710 |
| Georgia | $46,550 |
| Vermont | $46,430 |
| Kansas | $45,900 |
| South Carolina | $42,570 |
| New Mexico | $41,590 |
| Arkansas | $39,690 |
| Minnesota | $38,110 |
| North Carolina | $37,940 |
| West Virginia | $37,350 |
| Kentucky | $37,150 |
| Mississippi | $35,880 |
| Louisiana | $33,120 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,890 |
| New York | $100,960 |
How do firefighter salaries compare to similar careers?
Firefighters earn about the same as related careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than detectives but more than DJs.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Detective salary | $91K |
| Police officer salary | $101K |
| Probation officer salary | $74K |
| Correctional officer salary | $79K |
| Firefighter salary | $78K |
| Funeral director salary | $70K |
| Fire inspector salary | $62K |
| Social worker salary | $64K |
| DJ salary | $48K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)