Firefighters Salary
Firefighters in Erie, PA make a median of $80,280 a year, or about $38.6 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $89K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.95), which stretches that salary to about $88,268 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,212/month, or 23.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in Erie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Erie’s Regional Price Parity (90.95). 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 Erie
Erie sits well above the national pay line for firefighters, local pay runs about 35% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,212/month, 23.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.95 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Erie offers a genuinely strong financial position for firefighterss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for firefighters in metros near Erie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $78K | $76K |
| Pittsburgh | $72K | $76K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $73K | $73K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $60K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Erie, PA
Entry-level firefighters (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $89K or more, a $50K 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 Erie numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a firefighter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Erie?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 23.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,212/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for firefighters in Erie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new firefighters typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,342/month. At HUD’s $1,212/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Erie?
Local pay is 35% above the national median — $80K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Erie compare to the national average for firefighters?
Erie pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do firefighters make in Erie, PA?
The median is $80,280 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,040, and experienced firefighters can clear $89,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Erie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,200/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,212/month, which eats 23.3% 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 Erie?
Erie has a Regional Price Parity of 90.95 (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 $88,268 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.