As reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Firefighters earn an average of $55,290 per year, while Police Officers earn an average of $70,750 per year. Therefore, the salary for Police Officers is much higher than that of Firefighters.
Keep in mind, however, that factors such as location, experience, and the specific workplace can affect salary.
Firefighters vs Police Officers overview
Firefighters and Police Officers are crucial to the Federal, State, and Local Government industry. People are often interested in learning about the distinctions between these job titles, including the average earnings for each of them.
Firefighter job description
Firefighters control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.
Firefighter education and experience
Among Firefighters, 36% have completed a High School Diploma, 25% hold a Post-Secondary Certificate, and 20% have a College Course Certificate. With regard to experience, 44% of Firefighter occupations do not require any previous experience. A smaller number of roles (18%) require a previous experience of 2 to 4 years.
Firefighter average salary
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 317,310 Firefighters employed in the United States in 2021, and they earned an average annual income of $55,290. The bottom 10 percent earned $29,030 or less, and the top 10 percent earned $81,640 or more. Compared to the previous year, the mean salary has gone down by 1.9%.
Do Firefighters make good money?
Firefighters are not typically highly paid, since their mean salary is 5% below the average wage in the United States ($58,260). Additionally, they make 18% less than the mean earnings of the Federal, State, and Local Government industry ($67,800).
Firefighters are not typically highly paid, since their mean salary is 5% below the average wage in the United States ($58,260).
Firefighters job growth
In 2021, there have been 5,960 more Firefighter positions than the previous year across the nation, and that marks a rise of 1.9%. Job growth has averaged -0.4% over the past 3 years.
Police Officer job description
Alternative names: Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Police Officers maintain order and protect life and property by enforcing local, tribal, state, or federal laws and ordinances. Perform a combination of the following duties: patrol a specific area; direct traffic; issue traffic summonses; investigate accidents; apprehend and arrest suspects, or serve legal processes of courts. Includes police officers working at educational institutions.
Police Officer education and experience
Of Police Officers, 40% have completed a High School Diploma, 21% have a Post-Secondary Certificate, and 17% hold an Associate's Degree. In terms of experience, about a half of Police Officer jobs require no previous experience. A smaller percentage of jobs (23%) require a previous experience of 6 months to 1 year.
Police Officer average salary
According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of Police Officers employed by the United States in 2021 was 665,380, and on average, they earned $70,750 per year. The bottom 10 percent had a salary of $40,190 or less, and the top 10 percent had a salary of $102,530 or more. The average salary has increased by 1.1% compared the previous year.
Do Police Officers make good money?
The average salary of Police Officers is 21% higher than the average wage in the United States ($58,260). On the other hand, they earn 4% more than the average wage of the Federal, State, and Local Government industry ($67,800).
The average salary of Police Officers is 21% higher than the average wage in the United States ($58,260).
Police Officers job growth
In 2021, there have been 10,480 more Police Officer positions than the previous year nationwide, which marks a rise of 1.6%. Over the past 3 years, job growth has averaged 0.2%.
FAQ
Do Firefighters or Police Officers make more?
Police Officers make 28% more than Firefighters. The average annual pay for Firefighters is $55,290, while Police Officers earn $70,750 per year.