Firefighters Salary
Firefighters in Eugene-Springfield, OR make a median of $72,280 a year, or about $34.75 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.57), that's roughly $71,163 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,688/month, about 35.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $72K get you in Eugene-Springfield?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Eugene-Springfield’s Regional Price Parity (101.57). 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 Eugene-Springfield
Eugene-Springfield sits well above the national pay line for firefighters, local pay runs about 22% 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 $1,688/month, which is 37.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.57) 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 Eugene-Springfield, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $85K | $81K |
| Salem | $65K | $63K |
| Bend | $62K | $60K |
| Medford | $63K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Eugene-Springfield, OR
Entry-level firefighters (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $43K 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 Eugene-Springfield numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a firefighter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Eugene-Springfield?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 37.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,688/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for firefighters in Eugene-Springfield?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new firefighters typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,328/month. At HUD’s $1,688/month FMR, rent would take 73% 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 Eugene-Springfield?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $72K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Eugene-Springfield compare to the national average for firefighters?
Eugene-Springfield pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do firefighters make in Eugene-Springfield, OR?
The median is $72,280 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,800, and experienced firefighters can clear $81,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Eugene-Springfield?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,453/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,688/month, which eats 37.9% 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 Eugene-Springfield?
Eugene-Springfield has a Regional Price Parity of 101.57 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median firefighters salary is worth about $71,163 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.