Firefighters Salary
Firefighters in Virginia make a median of $58,670 a year, or about $28.21 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $61,895 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 42.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $59K get you in Virginia?
About firefighters
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What this looks like in Virginia
Firefighters pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 42.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level firefighters (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Firefighters salary by metro in Virginia
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $61K | +4% | 2,020 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $57K | -3% | 2,880 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $49K | -16% | 80 |
| Charlottesville | $47K | -20% | 260 |
| Lynchburg | $45K | -23% | 260 |
| Harrisonburg | $44K | -25% | 180 |
| Roanoke | $39K | -33% | 540 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $38K | -35% | 60 |
Compare to other states
Track firefighters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a firefighter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 42.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for firefighters in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new firefighters typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,299/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for firefighters?
Virginia pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do firefighters make in Virginia?
The median is $58,670 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,310, and experienced firefighters can clear $77,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,860/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 42.6% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $61,895 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.