SOC 33-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Firefighters — Charlottesville
Charlottesville, VA · 7 metro areas compared
In Charlottesville, VA the median wage is $46,860.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.4%
- Openings per year
- 27,100
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Charlottesville, VA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Charlottesville, VA the median wage is $46,860. That is 21.0% lower than the national median of $59,280. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $29,540 and $50,530. The lowest tenth earn under $26,520, while the highest tenth earn more than $60,520.
The area has 260 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.03 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Richmond leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $60,790. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 246th of 344 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $26,520 | −55.3% |
| 25th | $29,540 | −50.2% |
| Median (50th) | $46,860 | −21.0% |
| 75th | $50,530 | −14.8% |
| 90th | $60,520 | +2.1% |
| Mean | $44,140 | −25.5% |
Other metro areas in Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond | $60,790 | 2,020 | |
| 2 | Virginia Beach | $56,940 | 2,880 | |
| 3 | Staunton | $49,410 | 80 | |
| 4 | Lynchburg | $45,450 | 260 | |
| 5 | Harrisonburg | $43,900 | 180 | |
| 6 | Roanoke | $39,310 | 540 | |
| 7 | Blacksburg | $38,380 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Charlottesville sit close to the national average, so $46,860 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$46,860as reported by BLSLocal price level
99.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$47,286US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $46,860 a year, 21.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $26,520 to $60,520 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 260 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Richmond, at $60,790.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Firefighters in Charlottesville, VA?
The median annual wage is $46,860, or $22.53 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $59,280, so pay in Charlottesville, VA is 21.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Charlottesville, VA earns more than $60,520 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $26,520 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Richmond, at $60,790 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 260 jobs in this occupation in Charlottesville, VA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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