Firefighters Salary
Firefighters in Elkhart-Goshen, IN make a median of $63,760 a year, or about $30.65 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.33), which stretches that salary to about $70,586 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,183/month, or 27.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $64K get you in Elkhart-Goshen?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Elkhart-Goshen’s Regional Price Parity (90.33). 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 Elkhart-Goshen
Firefighters pay in Elkhart-Goshen tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,183/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for firefighters in metros near Elkhart-Goshen, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $68K | $72K |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $56K | $61K |
| Fort Wayne | $76K | $82K |
| Evansville | $67K | $73K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Elkhart-Goshen, IN
Entry-level firefighters (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $31K 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 Elkhart-Goshen numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a firefighter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Elkhart-Goshen?
Yes — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 27.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,183/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for firefighters in Elkhart-Goshen?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new firefighters typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,475/month. At HUD’s $1,183/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Elkhart-Goshen?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Elkhart-Goshen compare to the national average for firefighters?
Elkhart-Goshen pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do firefighters make in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?
The median is $63,760 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,250, and experienced firefighters can clear $72,440. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Elkhart-Goshen?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,275/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,183/month, which eats 27.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a firefighters salary go in Elkhart-Goshen?
Elkhart-Goshen has a Regional Price Parity of 90.33 (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 $70,586 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.