Firefighters Salary
Firefighters in Eau Claire, WI make a median of $36,030 a year, or about $17.32 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.8), which stretches that salary to about $38,825 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,181/month, about 48.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Eau Claire?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Eau Claire’s Regional Price Parity (92.8). 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 Eau Claire
Pay for firefighters in Eau Claire runs about 39% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,181/month, which is 47.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.8 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for firefighterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for firefighters in metros near Eau Claire, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $50K | $51K |
| Madison | $56K | $58K |
| Green Bay | $48K | $52K |
| Appleton | $47K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Eau Claire, WI
Entry-level firefighters (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $28K 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 Eau Claire numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a firefighter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Eau Claire?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 47.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,181/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for firefighters in Eau Claire?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new firefighters typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,761/month. At HUD’s $1,181/month FMR, rent would take 67% 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 Eau Claire?
Local pay runs 39% below the national median — $36K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Eau Claire compare to the national average for firefighters?
Eau Claire pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do firefighters make in Eau Claire, WI?
The median is $36,030 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,350, and experienced firefighters can clear $57,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Eau Claire?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,507/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,181/month, which eats 47.1% 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 Eau Claire?
Eau Claire has a Regional Price Parity of 92.8 (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 $38,825 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.