SOC 33-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Firefighters — West Virginia
West Virginia · 5 metro areas compared
Median pay in West Virginia is $37,350 a year, 37.0% under the national median of $59,280 for this occupation.
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 West Virginia.
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
Median pay in West Virginia is $37,350 a year, 37.0% under the national median of $59,280 for this occupation. Half of workers earn between $32,950 and $44,100. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $29,020 and the ninetieth at $51,390.
The area has 900 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.58 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Among the 50 states with published data for this occupation, West Virginia ranks 47th by median wage. Weirton leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $48,070. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 491st of 618 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $29,020 | −51.0% |
| 25th | $32,950 | −44.4% |
| Median (50th) | $37,350 | −37.0% |
| 75th | $44,100 | −25.6% |
| 90th | $51,390 | −13.3% |
| Mean | $40,100 | −32.4% |
Highest-paying metro areas in West Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weirton | $48,070 | 110 | |
| 2 | Beckley | $41,770 | 80 | |
| 3 | Wheeling | $41,140 | 210 | |
| 4 | Charleston | $38,780 | 230 | |
| 5 | Huntington | $36,060 | 230 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in West Virginia run 10.5% below the national average, so the median of $37,350 goes as far as $41,732 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 29.6% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$37,350as reported by BLSLocal price level
89.5US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$41,732US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $37,350 a year, 37.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $29,020 to $51,390 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 900 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 47th of 50 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Weirton, at $48,070.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Firefighters in West Virginia?
The median annual wage is $37,350, or $17.96 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 West Virginia is 37.0% 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 West Virginia earns more than $51,390 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $29,020 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 Weirton, at $48,070 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 900 jobs in this occupation in West Virginia. 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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