Vicky White and Casey White
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The best-paying cities for first responders
The Best-Paying Cities for First Responders
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Between the COVID-19 pandemic, more intense hurricanes, and ongoing wildfires impacting the western U.S., first responders are being challenged more than ever. While first responders are on the front lines during emergencies and face more danger than most people do in their occupations, they don’t earn much more. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these workers earn an average annual wage of $60,292, or about $4,000 more than the average across all occupations.
First responders generally include emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, firefighters, and police officers. Among these occupations, police officers earn the most, on average, with an average annual wage of $70,000. Firefighters earn $56,360 per year, on average, while EMTs and paramedics earn just $40,370 annually. EMTs are often paid less for several reasons. For one, emergency medical services (EMS) departments are allocated just a fraction of the funds that police and fire departments receive. And, becoming a firefighter or police officer tends to require more training than becoming an EMT, which only involves around 150 hours for starting positions.
Police officers earn the most among first responders
First responder pay varies not only by occupation but also by geographic location. At a regional level, first responders on the West Coast tend to earn the most, even after adjusting for above-average living costs. Despite living in one of the most expensive states in the country, California first responders still earn the highest cost-of-living adjusted wage, at nearly $79,000 per year. Firefighters who fight wildfires are in especially high demand in California and other parts of the Western U.S. At the other end of the spectrum, first responders in Mississippi earn just $41,377, on average, even after adjusting for the state’s low cost of living.
First responders earn the most on the West Coast
To find the best-paying cities for first responders, researchers at Smartest Dollar analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The researchers ranked locations according to the cost-of-living adjusted annual wage for first responders. Researchers also included the actual average wage for first responders, the average wage for all workers, and the relative cost of living.
To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 people were included in the analysis. Here are the best-paying metros for first responders.
Best paying small and midsize metros for first responders
15. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $64,720
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $76,305
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $64,300
- Cost of living (compared to average): +17.9%
14. Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI
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- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $64,728
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $59,550
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $49,700
- Cost of living (compared to average): -8.0%
13. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Photo Credit: Sergey Novikov / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $65,736
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $62,120
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $53,300
- Cost of living (compared to average): -5.5%
12. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
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- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $69,759
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $69,271
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $57,830
- Cost of living (compared to average): -0.7%
11. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
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- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $70,529
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $73,491
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $64,880
- Cost of living (compared to average): +4.2%
10. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
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- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $70,987
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $72,975
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $60,340
- Cost of living (compared to average): +2.8%
9. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
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- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $71,386
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $69,173
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $49,960
- Cost of living (compared to average): -3.1%
8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
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- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $71,433
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $81,790
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $74,330
- Cost of living (compared to average): +14.5%
7. Columbus, OH
Photo Credit: Agnieszka Gaul / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $72,860
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $66,740
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $54,160
- Cost of living (compared to average): -8.4%
6. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Photo Credit: Steve Minkler / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $73,965
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $79,364
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $53,640
- Cost of living (compared to average): +7.3%
5. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Photo Credit: Jon Bilous / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $74,611
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $78,342
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $61,860
- Cost of living (compared to average): +5.0%
4. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Photo Credit: Bogdan Vacarciuc / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $78,392
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $105,437
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $81,840
- Cost of living (compared to average): +34.5%
3. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
Photo Credit: Andriy Blokhin / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $79,940
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $84,097
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $62,820
- Cost of living (compared to average): +5.2%
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $84,676
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $100,595
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $63,660
- Cost of living (compared to average): +18.8%
1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Photo Credit: Uladzik Kryhin / Shutterstock
- Mean annual wage for first responders (adjusted): $95,589
- Mean annual wage for first responders (actual): $121,111
- Mean annual wage for all workers (actual): $93,450
- Cost of living (compared to average): +26.7%
