# Firefighters

US SOC code 33-2011. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/33-2011

Also called: Career firefighter, Structural firefighter, Wildland firefighter, Firefighter-EMT, Firefighter-paramedic.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **345,990** US firefighters, with median pay of **$59,280** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2012, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/research/nfpa-research/fire-statistical-reports/us-fire-department-profile) of **25,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for firefighters: Thermal imaging cameras + GPS incident mapping + NFPA 1500 occupational health, 1995 to 2018.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 3.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=33-2011&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **8.8%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.17** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.17. BLS counted **302,870** of these jobs in May 2013 and **345,990** in May 2025 (+14%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Firefighters employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1736
- Latest US employment: 345,990 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $59,280 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [11]
- Outlook: +3.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [28]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 42101)
  - Employment, 2020: 33,575. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 42101 Firefighters, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$113,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [15]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 42101 Firefighters, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 25,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NFPA [1] |
| 1930 | 70,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., IAFF [2] |
| 1960 | 130,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NFPA [1] |
| 1974 | 175,000 (estimate) | $11,000 (estimate) | Est., US Fire Administration (employment) [3]; Est., Bureau of Labor Statistics (pay) [9] |
| 2000 | 251,060 | $35,000 (estimate) | BLS OEWS 2000 (employment) [4]; Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (pay) [10] |
| 2003 | 273,120 | $37,060 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 273,630 | $38,330 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 282,180 | $39,090 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 283,630 | $41,190 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 289,710 | $43,170 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 298,900 | $44,260 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 305,500 | $45,050 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 302,400 | $45,250 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 304,080 | $45,420 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 297,700 | $45,250 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 302,870 | $45,600 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 308,790 | $45,970 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 318,790 | $46,870 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 315,910 | $48,030 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 319,860 | $49,080 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 321,570 | $49,620 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 324,620 | $50,850 | BLS OEWS May 2019 (employment) [5]; BLS OEWS May 2019 (pay) [12] |
| 2020 | 311,350 | $52,500 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 317,310 | $50,700 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 321,450 | $51,680 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 315,460 | $57,120 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 332,240 | $59,530 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 345,990 | $59,280 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (99)

### Employment series

1. [NFPA — "US Fire Department Profile" report series (historical context for career vs. volunteer split; NFPA fire service statistics series)](https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/research/nfpa-research/fire-statistical-reports/us-fire-department-profile), National Fire Protection Association
2. [IAFF — International Association of Fire Fighters history (organized labor representation of career firefighters; IAFF founded 1918)](https://www.iaff.org/history/), International Association of Fire Fighters
3. [National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control — 'America Burning' (1973); US fire service statistics and career firefighter workforce context](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-264.pdf), US Fire Administration
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

9. [BLS CPI-U inflation calculator (1974 nominal to 2024 real conversion); estimate anchored in documented IAFF contract wage scales ~$9,000–$13,000 for entry career firefighters in the mid-1970s; wide city-to-city variance (LAFD vs. rural municipal department). Historical IAFF wage surveys.](https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
10. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Firefighters (historical wage context, circa 2000 edition; national median approximately $34,000–$36,000)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/firefighters.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
11. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
12. [BLS OEWS May 2019 — 33-2011 Firefighters (median annual wage $50,850)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes332011.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
14. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
15. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

16. [NFPA — 'What Is the History of NFPA?' (NFPA blog, 2024; covers fire service founding and history including the volunteer era, bucket brigades, and the organization founded 1896)](https://www.nfpa.org/en/news-blogs-and-articles/blogs/2024/11/06/history-of-nfpa), National Fire Protection Association
17. [US Fire Administration — "America Burning: The Report of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control" (1973, historical overview of US fire service origins)](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-264.pdf), US Fire Administration / FEMA
18. [Cincinnati Fire Museum — 'Firefighting History' exhibit (first paid professional fire department 1853; Abel Shawk and Alexander Latta steam engine; Cincinnati as birthplace of professional firefighting)](https://www.cincyfiremuseum.com/exhibits/firefighting-history/), Cincinnati Fire Museum
19. [NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program (SCBA requirement history; first edition 1987, grounded in 1960s-era adoption)](https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-1500-standard-on-fire-department-occupational-safety-health-and-wellness-program/1500), National Fire Protection Association
20. [NFPA 1981 — Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services (SCBA performance standard for fire service; governing the technology whose predecessor entered fire service adoption in the 1950s-1960s)](https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-1981-standard-development/1981), National Fire Protection Association
21. [NFPA — 'US Fire Department Profile' report (incident type breakdown: ~75% EMS calls, ~3% structure fires)](https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/research/nfpa-research/fire-statistical-reports/us-fire-department-profile), National Fire Protection Association
22. [HURST Jaws of Life — "About HURST" (George Hurst origin; 1971 SEMA debut, 1972 Model JL-32 first production; fire department vehicle extrication; 35,000+ rescue squads worldwide)](https://www.jawsoflife.com/about-hurst), HURST Jaws of Life
23. [National Academy of Sciences — "Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society" (1966 white paper; foundational document for US EMS system development)](https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9978/accidental-death-and-disability-the-neglected-disease-of-modern-society), National Academies of Sciences
24. [Teledyne FLIR — "Public Safety" resource hub (FLIR fire-service thermal camera coverage; firefighter TIC product history and application articles)](https://www.flir.com/discover/public-safety/), FLIR Systems / Teledyne FLIR
25. [CAL FIRE — "UAS Program" (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection drone program; drone use in wildland fire operations)](https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/fire-resource-assessment-program/fire-and-resource-assessment-program-frap), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
26. [Skydio — "Drone as First Responder (DFR) for Public Safety" (Skydio autonomous drone platform for public safety agencies; fire department and CAL FIRE adoption)](https://www.skydio.com/solutions/dfr), Skydio
27. [Teledyne FLIR — FLIR K65 Firefighter Thermal Camera (K-series SCBA-compliant firefighter TIC; 320x240 thermal resolution; NFPA 1801-2021 standard; representative of the K-series product line)](https://www.flir.com/products/k65/), FLIR Systems / Teledyne FLIR

### Forecasts and exposure studies

28. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 33-2011 Firefighters (2025: 355.3 thousand; 2035: 368.4 thousand; +3.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=33-2011&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
29. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 33-2011 Firefighters: probability 0.17, rank 197 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
30. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 33-2011.00, human-rated β 0.088)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

31. [ushistory.org — 'Benjamin Franklin and the Union Fire Company' (founding of first organized US volunteer fire company, December 7, 1736; leather buckets, mutual-aid agreement, spread to Boston, New York, Charleston)](https://www.ushistory.org/franklin/philadelphia/fire.htm), ushistory.org / Independence Hall Association
32. [Cincinnati Fire Museum — 'Firefighting History' exhibit (first paid professional fire department 1853; Abel Shawk and Alexander Latta steam engine; birthplace of professional firefighting)](https://www.cincyfiremuseum.com/exhibits/firefighting-history/), Cincinnati Fire Museum
33. [NFPA — 'History of Fire Prevention Week' (Great Chicago Fire, October 8, 1871; fire deaths, structures destroyed, 100,000 homeless; origin of Fire Prevention Week commemoration)](https://www.nfpa.org/en/events/fire-prevention-week/history-of-fpw), National Fire Protection Association
34. [NFPA — 'What Is the History of NFPA?' (blog, 2024; founded 1896, Boston; fire insurance engineers; National Electrical Code first issued 1897)](https://www.nfpa.org/en/news-blogs-and-articles/blogs/2024/11/06/history-of-nfpa), National Fire Protection Association
35. [IAFF — 'History' (IAFF history; AFL charter; career firefighter collective bargaining; labor representation context)](https://www.iaff.org/history/), International Association of Fire Fighters
36. [US Fire Administration — 'America Burning: The Report of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control' (1973; 12,000 annual fire deaths, prevention emphasis, USFA founding recommendation)](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-264.pdf), US Fire Administration / FEMA
37. [IAFF — 'September 11, 2001' history page (343 FDNY firefighters pay the ultimate sacrifice; IAFF members on the pile through May 2002; Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs)](https://www.iaff.org/history/september-11-2001/), International Association of Fire Fighters
38. [CAL FIRE — 'Camp Fire Incident Report' (November 2018; 85 deaths, 153,336 acres, 18,804 structures destroyed; deadliest/most destructive California wildfire)](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2018/11/8/camp-fire/), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

### Predecessors & successors

39. [IAFF — International Association of Fire Fighters (veterans and the fire service; veteran recruitment programs; collective bargaining context)](https://www.iaff.org/history/), International Association of Fire Fighters
40. [BLS — Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics (29-2042) occupational crossover context with fire service](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
41. [NFPA — 'US Fire Department Profile' report (volunteer-to-career pathway; many career firefighters begin as volunteers)](https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/research/nfpa-research/fire-statistical-reports/us-fire-department-profile), National Fire Protection Association
42. [National Fire Academy (USFA) — fire science and emergency management training programs; NFA education pipeline for career firefighters](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/), USFA / National Fire Academy

### Present-day analysis

- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Firefighters (2024-34 projection, 344,900 jobs, $59,530 median wage)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/firefighters.htm), accessed 2026-06-03
- [O\*NET 33-2011.00 — Firefighters (tasks, skills, work activities)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-2011.00), accessed 2026-06-03
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-03
- [Qwake Technologies — C-THRU / Navigator AR platform (2x faster searches, 80+ departments)](https://www.qwake.tech/navigator), accessed 2026-06-03
- [Fast Company — Qwake C-THRU named 2025 World Changing Innovation](https://www.qwake.tech/news/fire-service-innovation-earns-global-recognition-c-thru-named-fast-company-world-changing-innovation), accessed 2026-06-03
- [NIST — AI-Enabled Smart Firefighting (flashover prediction, cardiac monitoring, evacuation optimization)](https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/artificial-intelligence-enabled-smart-firefighting), accessed 2026-06-03
- [RapidSOS — UNITE platform overview (22,000+ agencies, $100M raise 2025)](https://rapidsos.com/rapidsos-unite-for-911/), accessed 2026-06-03
- [RapidSOS — $100M raise to scale emergency response AI](https://rapidsos.com/blog/rapidsos-raises-100m-to-scale-emergency-response-ai/), accessed 2026-06-03
- [UC San Diego / WIFIRE — Real-time wildfire information for responders](https://today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san-diegos-wifire-program-provides-real-time-information-to-wildfire-responders), accessed 2026-06-03
- [NOAA — Next-Generation Fire System (NGFS) AI heat anomaly detection](https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-unveils-powerful-convergence-of-ai-and-science-with-revolutionary-next-generation-fire-system), accessed 2026-06-03
- [StateScoop — AI cameras, sensors and drones aiding LA wildfire response (2025)](https://statescoop.com/ai-cameras-sensors-drones-la-wildfires-2025/), accessed 2026-06-03
- [Fire Engineering — Artificial intelligence in firefighting (trade press overview)](https://www.fireengineering.com/firefighting-equipment/artificial-intelligence-firefighting/), accessed 2026-06-03
- [firerescue1.com — Summit explores new tech, AI and data-driven models in fire service](https://www.firerescue1.com/the-implications-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-fire-service), accessed 2026-06-03
- [Fire Apparatus Magazine — Firefighting drone use expansion and advancements](https://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/equipment/firefighter-drones/fire-chief-considerations-firefighting-drone-use-expansion-and-advancements/), accessed 2026-06-03

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.