How much does a Firefighter make in Nevada?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $67,120 for Firefighters in Nevada as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $54,510 and the 75th-percentile is $77,280.

What does the top of the Firefighter pay scale look like in Nevada?

The 90th percentile lands at $97,440. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $77,280.

How many Firefighters does Nevada employ?

BLS OES counts 2,360 Firefighters employed in Nevada in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

How wide is the wage spread in Nevada?

P10 to P90 spans $48,170 to $97,440. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Nevada?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Nevada.

How does the 24/48 shift schedule distort BLS firefighter pay in Nevada?

Most career firefighters in Nevada work a 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off rotation totaling roughly 56 hours per week — substantially more than the 40-hour assumption underlying many salary comparisons. BLS OEWS reports annual W-2 wages, which include the structurally elevated base from the longer schedule plus FLSA-mandated overtime above 53 hours/week. The headline number understates intensity: per-shift effective compensation looks high; per-hour-of-life-spent-at-the-station it's closer to a typical municipal worker's rate.

Paramedic dual-certification premium for Nevada firefighters?

Most Nevada fire departments respond to far more EMS calls than fire calls — roughly 70-80% medical response is typical. Departments add a paramedic-cert premium of 5-15% above firefighter base, reflecting the labor-market scarcity of cross-trained personnel. BLS aggregates all firefighters under SOC 33-2011 regardless of EMT/paramedic status; the actual Nevada median for paramedic-certified firefighters runs above the BLS figure shown on this page, while EMT-only firefighters cluster at or below it.

Firefighter Pay in Nevada: $67K Median + Purchasing Power (2026)

TL;DR

Firefighters in Nevada earn a BLS median of $67,120, with real take-home of $68,587 after BEA RPP adjustment.
BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
P25-P75 spread runs $54,510 to $77,280; P10 floor $48,170, P90 ceiling $97,440.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #12 of 51; nominal rank is #14.

Wage breakdown — Nevada

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$48,170	$49,223
P25 (lower quartile)	$54,510	$55,701
P50 (median)	$67,120	$68,587
P75 (upper quartile)	$77,280	$78,969
P90 (top tier)	$97,440	$99,570
Mean	$69,050	$70,559
Employment	2,360 Firefighters in Nevada

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Nevada index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	97.9
Goods	96.8
Services	91.3
Rents	113.3

Nevada's overall RPP (97.9) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Nevada (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Firefighter)	$67,120	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$6,013	9.0% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$5,135	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$55,972	83.4% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$57,195	÷ (97.9 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Nevada state-tax burden means for Firefighter take-home

Nevada levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $3,356 a year for a Firefighter at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $57,195 — higher than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP is below 100.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $59,530 for Firefighters with mean pay of $63,890 and total employment of 332,240. Nevada sits at #14 on nominal pay and #12 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Nevada climbs 2 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Firefighter make in Nevada?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $67,120 for Firefighters in Nevada as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $54,510 and the 75th-percentile is $77,280.
What does the top of the Firefighter pay scale look like in Nevada?: The 90th percentile lands at $97,440. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $77,280.
How many Firefighters does Nevada employ?: BLS OES counts 2,360 Firefighters employed in Nevada in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
How wide is the wage spread in Nevada?: P10 to P90 spans $48,170 to $97,440. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Nevada?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Nevada.
How does the 24/48 shift schedule distort BLS firefighter pay in Nevada?: Most career firefighters in Nevada work a 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off rotation totaling roughly 56 hours per week — substantially more than the 40-hour assumption underlying many salary comparisons. BLS OEWS reports annual W-2 wages, which include the structurally elevated base from the longer schedule plus FLSA-mandated overtime above 53 hours/week. The headline number understates intensity: per-shift effective compensation looks high; per-hour-of-life-spent-at-the-station it's closer to a typical municipal worker's rate.
Paramedic dual-certification premium for Nevada firefighters?: Most Nevada fire departments respond to far more EMS calls than fire calls — roughly 70-80% medical response is typical. Departments add a paramedic-cert premium of 5-15% above firefighter base, reflecting the labor-market scarcity of cross-trained personnel. BLS aggregates all firefighters under SOC 33-2011 regardless of EMT/paramedic status; the actual Nevada median for paramedic-certified firefighters runs above the BLS figure shown on this page, while EMT-only firefighters cluster at or below it.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 33-2011, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Nevada Firefighter pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.