Firefighters Salary
Firefighters in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY make a median of $70,840 a year, or about $34.06 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.57), that's roughly $71,146 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,702/month, about 36.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $71K get you in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Albany-Schenectady-Troy’s Regional Price Parity (99.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About firefighters
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What this looks like in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Albany-Schenectady-Troy sits well above the national pay line for firefighters, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,702/month, which is 37.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for firefighters in metros near Albany-Schenectady-Troy, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $106K | $95K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $74K | $78K |
| Rochester | $89K | $92K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $76K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Entry-level firefighters (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $71K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Firefighters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Firefighters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101K | +70% | 12,950 |
| Washington | $95K | +59% | 7,560 |
| California | $85K | +44% | 31,470 |
| New Jersey | $84K | +42% | 7,500 |
| Illinois | $78K | +32% | 18,400 |
| Connecticut | $78K | +31% | 2,970 |
| District of Columbia | $76K | +28% | 1,480 |
| Colorado | $74K | +25% | 6,510 |
| Maryland | $74K | +25% | 5,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $73K | +24% | 5,020 |
| Massachusetts | $73K | +23% | 11,940 |
| Oregon | $71K | +20% | 3,790 |
| Rhode Island | $67K | +14% | 1,620 |
| Nevada | $67K | +12% | 2,640 |
| Indiana | $63K | +6% | 8,530 |
| Nebraska | $61K | +3% | 1,070 |
| Texas | $60K | +2% | 28,170 |
| Ohio | $59K | +0% | 18,100 |
| Montana | $59K | +0% | 1,010 |
| Arizona | $59K | +0% | 7,500 |
| Alaska | $59K | -1% | 1,040 |
| Virginia | $59K | -1% | 11,160 |
| Florida | $59K | -1% | 24,570 |
| Wyoming | $58K | -2% | 680 |
| New Hampshire | $57K | -4% | 2,700 |
| Iowa | $56K | -6% | 2,170 |
| North Dakota | $55K | -7% | 820 |
| Michigan | $55K | -8% | 6,610 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -16% | 4,150 |
| Tennessee | $49K | -17% | 7,020 |
| Missouri | $49K | -17% | 6,580 |
| Utah | $48K | -19% | 2,870 |
| Maine | $48K | -19% | 2,480 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -19% | 610 |
| Alabama | $48K | -20% | 7,260 |
| Idaho | $47K | -20% | 2,240 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | -21% | 8,120 |
| Delaware | $47K | -21% | 560 |
| Georgia | $47K | -21% | 12,700 |
| Vermont | $46K | -22% | N/A |
| Kansas | $46K | -23% | 3,360 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -28% | 7,780 |
| New Mexico | $42K | -30% | 2,420 |
| Arkansas | $40K | -33% | 2,480 |
| Minnesota | $38K | -36% | 5,810 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -36% | 19,410 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -37% | 900 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -37% | 5,150 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -39% | 2,920 |
| Louisiana | $33K | -44% | 5,230 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track firefighters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Albany-Schenectady-Troy numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a firefighter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $71K, rent takes 37.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,702/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for firefighters in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new firefighters typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,800/month. At HUD’s $1,702/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is firefighter a high-paying job in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $71K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Albany-Schenectady-Troy compare to the national average for firefighters?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy pays $71K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do firefighters make in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?
The median is $70,840 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,660, and experienced firefighters can clear $82,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $71K enough to live in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,578/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,702/month, which eats 37.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a firefighters salary go in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy has a Regional Price Parity of 99.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median firefighters salary is worth about $71,146 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do firefighters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.