Firefighters Salary
Firefighters in Maine make a median of $48,290 a year, or about $23.22 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.7), that's roughly $49,427 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,281/month, about 38.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maine. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $48K actually covers in Maine, month by month
About firefighters
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What this looks like in Maine
Pay for firefighters in Maine runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,281/month, which is 39.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for firefighters.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maine
Entry-level firefighters (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.
Firefighters salary by metro in Maine
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston-Auburn | $53K | +10% | 190 |
| Portland-South Portland | $49K | +2% | 1,340 |
| Bangor | $48K | -1% | 310 |
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Track firefighters salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Maine numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a firefighter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Maine?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 39.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,281/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for firefighters in Maine?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new firefighters typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,461/month. At HUD’s $1,281/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 Maine?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $48K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Maine compare to the national average for firefighters?
Maine pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do firefighters make in Maine?
The median is $48,290 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,740, and experienced firefighters can clear $63,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Maine?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,233/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,281/month, which eats 39.6% 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 Maine?
Maine has a Regional Price Parity of 97.7 (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 $49,427 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.