- Firefighters earn $47,270 on average in the United States as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The pay scale ranges from $22,990 to $74,390, and firefighters with certification in paramedics may earn higher-than-average wages. Most firefighters are employed by local government for an average salary of $47,860, while others work for the federal executive branch for $48,150 or in the industry of other support services for $29,320. Education-Portal states that the median salary for firefighters who have passed the second of the three levels of EMT/paramedic certification was $42,000 as of 2010.
- New Jersey is the nation's top paying state for firefighters, with an average salary of $71,810, according to the bureau. In California, the average salary is $66,950, and in Washington, it's $62,950. Ohio has the highest concentration of firefighters and offers an average salary of $41,160, followed by Massachusetts at $48,140.
- The average salary of a paramedic in the U.S. is $33,020, according to the bureau. The pay scale begins at $19,360 for workers in the bottom 10 percent and ends at $51,460 for those in the top 10 percent. The industry of ambulatory health care services employs the most paramedics and offers a salary average of $30,110, while those working for local government earn more at $36,780. Paramedics working for general medical and surgical hospitals earn an average income of $33,390, and those employed by outpatient care centers earn $32,540.
- Paramedics in Hawaii earn higher wages than in any other state, according to the bureau, at $47,380 on average per year. Alaska ranks second with a salary average of $46,630, followed by Oregon at $43,220. Missouri has the highest concentration of paramedics and offers a salary average of $32,630, while West Virginia has the second highest concentration and offers $23,860 on average.
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