What are the main factors that influence a First Responder's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A First Responder's salary?

A First Responder's salary grows with experience: a Staff Nurse - RN I (0-2 years)earns $73,925, a First Responder (2-4 years)earns $83,786, a Staff Nurse - RN III (4-7 years)earns $97,428,

What are the highest paying states for a First Responder?

First Responder salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for First Responder roles are District of Columbia $91,396, California $91,049, Massachusetts $89,836. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of First Responder roles make?

Salaries for First Responder level roles vary by specialization: cyber incident responder: $94,599; Cyber Security Incident Responder: $92,366; Incident Responder: $90,580; Hazardous Materials Responder: $89,037; Crisis Responder: $66,266.

How do different companies affect a First Responder's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for First Responder roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

First Responder Salary in the United States

How much does a First Responder make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a First Responder in the United States is $82,547 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

However, a First Responder's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $95,744
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $76,600 to $89,455
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,185

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First Responder Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$89,455	$7,455	$1,720	$43
Average	$82,547	$6,879	$1,587	$40
25th Percentile	$76,600	$6,383	$1,473	$37

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Key Factors That Influence First Responder Salaries

A First Responder's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do First Responder Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract First Responders. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $91,396.
California: $91,049.
Massachusetts: $89,836.

District of Columbia $91,396 California $91,049 Massachusetts $89,836 Washington $89,506 New Jersey $89,473 Alaska $89,357 Connecticut $88,218 New York $87,756

Hawaii $86,278 Rhode Island $85,585 Maryland $85,114 Minnesota $84,470 Colorado $84,223 Illinois $84,140 Oregon $83,826 Delaware $83,595

New Hampshire $83,450 Virginia $83,125 Pennsylvania $82,176 Nevada $81,697 North Dakota $81,540 Michigan $81,292 Wisconsin $81,201 Vermont $81,020

Texas $80,516 Maine $80,483 Arizona $80,434 Ohio $80,376 Georgia $79,617 Indiana $79,237 Wyoming $79,163 Utah $79,047

Iowa $78,997 Kansas $78,601 Louisiana $78,486 North Carolina $78,444 Missouri $78,428 Florida $78,106 Montana $77,933 Nebraska $77,768

Kentucky $77,677 South Carolina $77,347 Tennessee $77,140 Idaho $77,058 New Mexico $76,455 Oklahoma $76,323 Alabama $75,836 South Dakota $75,019

Arkansas $74,573 West Virginia $74,334 Mississippi $73,615

Top Paying Cities for First Responders

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $104,117
San Francisco: $102,977
Oakland: $100,806

San Jose, CA $104,117

San Francisco, CA $102,977

Oakland, CA $100,806

New York, NY $95,044

Paramus, NJ $93,888

Queens Village, NY $93,884

Passaic, NJ $93,806

Bergenfield, NJ $93,798

Stamford, CT $93,617

Huntington, NY $93,583

Newark, NJ $92,973

Bridgeport, CT $92,799

Vallejo, CA $92,634

New Brunswick, NJ $92,601

Petaluma, CA $92,552

Middlesex, NJ $92,395

Somerset, NJ $92,337

Santa Cruz, CA $92,230

Boston, MA $91,726

Monterey, CA $91,436

Seattle, WA $91,247

Santa Rosa, CA $91,231

Los Angeles, CA $91,206

Juneau, AK $90,992

Washington, DC $90,901

Orange, CA $90,607

Santa Ana, CA $90,389

Long Beach, CA $90,306

Anaheim, CA $90,290

Anchorage, AK $90,249

Santa Maria, CA $90,001

Everett, WA $89,984

Danbury, CT $89,694

Bremerton, WA $89,580

Tacoma, WA $89,283

New Suffolk, NY $89,281

Sacramento, CA $89,258

Santa Barbara, CA $89,167

Trenton, NJ $89,076

San Diego, CA $89,076

Brockton, MA $88,986

Fairbanks, AK $88,783

Lompoc, CA $88,573

Lowell, MA $88,506

Ventura, CA $88,490

Nashua, NH $88,474

Stockton, CA $88,466

Modesto, CA $87,863

Poughkeepsie, NY $87,681

Olympia, WA $87,525

Kennewick, WA $87,525

New Haven, CT $87,492

Lawrence, MA $87,194

Hartford, CT $87,112

Riverside, CA $87,095

New Bedford, MA $87,013

Richland, WA $87,013

Bakersfield, CA $86,897

San Bernardino, CA $86,864

New Britain, CT $86,856

Atlantic City, NJ $86,856

New London, CT $86,823

Norwich, CT $86,798

Portsmouth, NH $86,782

Boulder, CO $86,607

Portland, OR $86,493

Worcester, MA $86,484

Minneapolis, MN $86,229

Philadelphia, PA $86,113

Honolulu, HI $85,841

Saint Paul, MN $85,801

Vineland, NJ $85,783

Providence, RI $85,543

Chicago, IL $85,304

Bellingham, WA $85,205

Springfield, MA $85,139

Baltimore, MD $85,114

Chico, CA $84,908

Pittsfield, MA $84,685

Manchester, NH $84,528

Spokane, WA $84,165

Denver, CO $84,157

Albany, NY $83,769

Troy, NY $83,736

Nassau, NY $83,647

Schenectady, NY $83,562

Wilmington, DE $83,496

Burlington, VT $83,381

Salem, OR $83,348

Portland, ME $83,092

Yakima, WA $83,009

Rochester, MN $82,753

Reno, NV $82,712

Fresno, CA $82,712

Milwaukee, WI $82,638

Detroit, MI $82,555

Ann Arbor, MI $82,541

Allentown, PA $82,530

Colorado Springs, CO $82,390

Syracuse, NY $82,349

Carson City, NV $82,349

Houston, TX $82,233

Eugene, OR $82,192

Gary, IN $82,093

Springfield, OR $82,027

Bismarck, ND $82,010

Galveston, TX $81,953

Medford, OR $81,829

Fort Collins, CO $81,796

Concord, NH $81,755

Austin, TX $81,730

Mesa, AZ $81,556

Reading, PA $81,548

Phoenix, AZ $81,540

Dallas, TX $81,515

Saint Cloud, MN $81,436

Madison, WI $81,325

Utica, NY $81,102

Rochester, NY $80,970

Des Moines, IA $80,962

Raleigh, NC $80,954

Atlanta, GA $80,830

Battle Creek, MI $80,805

Salt Lake City, UT $80,780

Lancaster, PA $80,657

Harrisburg, PA $80,541

Kansas City, MO $80,459

Champaign, IL $80,442

Kansas City, KS $80,442

Fort Worth, TX $80,434

Columbus, OH $80,420

Boca Raton, FL $80,401

Pittsburgh, PA $80,368

Richmond, VA $80,335

Indianapolis, IN $80,318

Cleveland, OH $80,310

Las Vegas, NV $80,211

Cincinnati, OH $80,211

Petersburg, VA $80,087

Huntsville, AL $79,963

Lansing, MI $79,908

Lebanon, PA $79,897

Pueblo, CO $79,889

Appleton, WI $79,864

Buffalo, NY $79,831

Dayton, OH $79,806

Racine, WI $79,790

Charlotte, NC $79,782

Saint Louis, MO $79,757

York, PA $79,707

Elkhart, IN $79,707

Gastonia, NC $79,692

Billings, MT $79,672

Beaumont, TX $79,650

Lorain, OH $79,633

Benton Harbor, MI $79,617

Toledo, OH $79,600

Binghamton, NY $79,559

Rock Hill, SC $79,551

Rockford, IL $79,509

Springfield, IL $79,476

Elyria, OH $79,468

Fargo, ND $79,468

Flagstaff, AZ $79,410

Fort Lauderdale, FL $79,361

Duluth, MN $79,311

Miami, FL $79,311

Cheyenne, WY $79,253

Grand Forks, ND $79,253

Bangor, ME $79,072

Cedar Rapids, IA $78,981

Durham, NC $78,946

Louisville, KY $78,940

Grand Rapids, MI $78,923

Hialeah, FL $78,915

Casper, WY $78,799

Scranton, PA $78,700

New Orleans, LA $78,676

Virginia Beach, VA $78,667

Akron, OH $78,626

Peoria, IL $78,519

Sarasota, FL $78,502

Nashville, TN $78,444

Omaha, NE $78,444

Green Bay, WI $78,444

Baton Rouge, LA $78,403

Charleston, SC $78,387

Jamestown, NY $78,345

Davenport, IA $78,345

Tucson, AZ $78,304

Saint Petersburg, FL $78,255

Tampa, FL $78,238

Evansville, IN $78,189

Port Arthur, TX $78,189

Bradenton, FL $78,155

Santa Fe, NM $78,007

Orlando, FL $77,858

Clearwater, FL $77,834

Canton, OH $77,660

La Crosse, WI $77,660

Albuquerque, NM $77,611

Newport News, VA $77,602

High Point, NC $77,578

Ogden, UT $77,545

Corpus Christi, TX $77,479

Norfolk, VA $77,429

Laramie, WY $77,429

Rock Island, IL $77,380

Saginaw, MI $77,363

Jacksonville, FL $77,355

Salisbury, NC $77,338

Boise, ID $77,322

Moline, IL $77,281

Fort Myers, FL $77,256

Memphis, TN $77,239

Tulsa, OK $77,198

Waterloo, IA $77,148

Spartanburg, SC $77,066

Lincoln, NE $77,025

Fort Wayne, IN $77,008

Provo, UT $77,000

Cedar Falls, IA $76,901

San Antonio, TX $76,868

Greensboro, NC $76,835

South Bend, IN $76,826

Savannah, GA $76,736

Muskegon, MI $76,703

Birmingham, AL $76,694

Winston Salem, NC $76,654

Lake Charles, LA $76,455

Anderson, IN $76,439

Lexington, KY $76,414

Augusta, GA $76,389

Greenville, SC $76,389

Lima, OH $76,323

Wichita, KS $76,315

Tuscaloosa, AL $76,315

Columbia, SC $76,240

Springfield, OH $76,224

Asheville, NC $76,092

Bloomington, IN $76,034

Knoxville, TN $75,737

Shreveport, LA $75,729

Wilmington, NC $75,621

Roanoke, VA $75,621

Topeka, KS $75,473

Frankfort, KY $75,464

Oklahoma City, OK $75,407

Chillicothe, OH $75,374

Longview, TX $75,365

Melbourne, FL $75,357

Sioux Falls, SD $75,225

Mobile, AL $75,217

Terre Haute, IN $75,184

Altoona, PA $75,134

Amarillo, TX $75,076

Killeen, TX $75,052

Fayetteville, AR $74,986

Chattanooga, TN $74,961

Sioux City, IA $74,887

Idaho Falls, ID $74,870

Lynchburg, VA $74,804

Gainesville, FL $74,697

Portsmouth, OH $74,656

Little Rock, AR $74,639

Lafayette, LA $74,606

Youngstown, OH $74,606

Daytona Beach, FL $74,556

Clarksville, TN $74,548

Pensacola, FL $74,540

Temple, TX $74,534

Hopkinsville, KY $74,292

Erie, PA $74,276

Florence, SC $74,243

Charleston, WV $74,111

Great Falls, MT $74,069

Macon, GA $73,954

Tallahassee, FL $73,946

Fayetteville, NC $73,929

Waco, TX $73,913

Helena, MT $73,855

Pine Bluff, AR $73,823

Vincennes, IN $73,723

Lubbock, TX $73,690

Alamogordo, NM $73,640

Twin Falls, ID $73,566

Rapid City, SD $73,541

Jackson, MS $73,393

Huntington, WV $73,387

Greenville, MS $73,384

Parkersburg, WV $73,300

Montgomery, AL $73,285

Wichita Falls, TX $73,203

Springfield, MO $73,203

Biloxi, MS $73,161

Monroe, LA $73,079

Johnstown, PA $73,021

Sumter, SC $72,988

Columbus, GA $72,980

Pascagoula, MS $72,823

Abilene, TX $72,823

Kingsport, TN $72,608

Albany, GA $72,608

Gulfport, MS $72,584

Alexandria, LA $72,311

Fort Smith, AR $72,105

El Paso, TX $71,882

Las Cruces, NM $71,510

Harlingen, TX $71,301

Pocatello, ID $71,288

Florence, AL $71,180

Brownsville, TX $71,164

Mcallen, TX $70,990

Dothan, AL $70,875

Columbus, MS $70,385

Altus, OK $70,000

Lawton, OK $69,843

Pierre, SD $69,546

What Skills Can Increase a First Responder's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Planning (Mentioned in 5.16% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Nursing Process (Mentioned in 3.34% Job Postings): The nursing process is a modified scientific method. Nursing practise was first described as a four-stage nursing process by Ida Jean Orlando in 1958.
Long Term Care (Mentioned in 1.96% Job Postings): Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time. It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, using the bathroom. Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Long-term care may be needed by people of any age, although it is a more common need for senior citizens.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	5.16%
Nursing Process	3.34%
Long Term Care	1.96%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a First Responder's salary.

Telemetry: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Telemetry	$85,023	3%
Accountability	$84,198	2%
Dedication	$84,198	2%
Partnering	$84,198	2%
Innovation	$84,198	2%
Commitment	$84,198	2%

Get Latest Data

First Responder Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For First Responder roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 35% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 15% above the average. In contrast, First Responder positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view First Responder as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a First Responder

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking	$94,929	$46.0	15%
Biotechnology	$92,865	$45.0	12%
Energy & Utilities	$88,738	$43.0	7%
Insurance	$86,674	$42.0	5%

How Education impacts a First Responder's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many First Responders enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a First Responder with a Associate's Degree is between $81,300 and $85,864).

First Responder Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for First Responder

No Diploma 0.1%

High School 2.1%

Associates 43.3%

Bachelors 48.9%

Masters 5.3%

Doctorate 0.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.1%
High School	2.1%
Associates	43.3%
Bachelors	48.9%
Masters	5.3%
Doctorate	0.3%

view as graph

First Responder Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a First Responder's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

$76,600

Average $82,547/year

$89,455

$6,383

Average $6,879/month

$7,455

$1,473

Average $1,587/week

$1,720

$37

Average $40/hour

$43

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$89,455	$7,455	$1,720	$43
Average	$82,547	$6,879	$1,587	$40
25th Percentile	$76,600	$6,383	$1,473	$37

Salaries of jobs related to First Responder

Salary Trends for First Responder

Salaries for a First Responder can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $73,831 in 2023 to around $73,995 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of First Responder salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of First Responder Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$73,831

2024

$74,466

2025

$73,995

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$73,831
2024	$74,466
2025	$73,995
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for First Responder

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Disability

Healthcare

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FAQ about First Responder

1. What industry pays the highest salary for First Responder?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for First Responder roles, with salaries approximately 15% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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