What are the main factors that influence an Engine Captain's salary?

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

How does experience change An Engine Captain's salary?

An Engine Captain's salary grows with experience: starting around $84,065 for beginners, reaching about $86,157 at mid-level, and approach $92,153 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for an Engine Captain?

Engine Captain salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Engine Captain roles are District of Columbia $98,394, California $98,020, Massachusetts $96,714. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Engine Captain roles make?

Salaries for Engine Captain level roles vary by specialization: Captain: $164,700; Engine Programmer: $124,547; Engine Designer: $107,277; Fire Captain: $85,415; Engine Technician: $75,554.

How do different companies affect an Engine Captain's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Engine Captain roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Engine Captain Salary in the United States

How much does an Engine Captain make in the United States?

As of June 01, 2026, the average salary for an Engine Captain in the United States is $88,867 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.

However, an Engine Captain's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $113,976
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,264 to $102,010
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $66,701

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Engine Captain Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$102,010	$8,501	$1,962	$49
Average	$88,867	$7,406	$1,709	$43
25th Percentile	$77,264	$6,439	$1,486	$37

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Key Factors That Influence Engine Captain Salaries

An Engine Captain'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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Engine Captain Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Engine Captain's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $84,065
Early Career (1-2 years): $84,936
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $86,157
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $88,287
Expert (over 8 years): $92,153

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Engine Captain	$84,065
Intermediate Level Engine Captain	$84,936
Senior Level Engine Captain	$86,157
Specialist Level Engine Captain	$88,287
Expert Level Engine Captain	$92,153

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Engine Captain 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 Engine Captains. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $98,394.
California: $98,020.
Massachusetts: $96,714.

District of Columbia $98,394

California $98,020

Massachusetts $96,714

Washington $96,358

New Jersey $96,323

Alaska $96,199

Connecticut $94,972

New York $94,475

Hawaii $92,884

Rhode Island $92,137

Maryland $91,631

Minnesota $90,938

Colorado $90,671

Illinois $90,582

Oregon $90,244

Delaware $89,996

New Hampshire $89,839

Virginia $89,489

Pennsylvania $88,467

Nevada $87,952

North Dakota $87,783

Michigan $87,516

Wisconsin $87,418

Vermont $87,223

Texas $86,681

Maine $86,645

Arizona $86,592

Ohio $86,530

Georgia $85,712

Indiana $85,303

Wyoming $85,223

Utah $85,099

Iowa $85,046

Kansas $84,619

Louisiana $84,495

North Carolina $84,450

Missouri $84,433

Florida $84,086

Montana $83,899

Nebraska $83,722

Kentucky $83,624

South Carolina $83,268

Tennessee $83,046

Idaho $82,957

New Mexico $82,309

Oklahoma $82,166

Alabama $81,642

South Dakota $80,762

Arkansas $80,282

West Virginia $80,025

Mississippi $79,252

Top Paying Cities for Engine Captains

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: $112,088
San Francisco: $110,861
Oakland: $108,524

San Jose, CA $112,088

San Francisco, CA $110,861

Oakland, CA $108,524

New York, NY $102,321

Paramus, NJ $101,076

Queens Village, NY $101,072

Passaic, NJ $100,988

Bergenfield, NJ $100,980

Stamford, CT $100,784

Huntington, NY $100,748

Newark, NJ $100,091

Bridgeport, CT $99,903

Vallejo, CA $99,727

New Brunswick, NJ $99,691

Petaluma, CA $99,638

Middlesex, NJ $99,469

Somerset, NJ $99,407

Santa Cruz, CA $99,291

Boston, MA $98,749

Monterey, CA $98,437

Seattle, WA $98,234

Santa Rosa, CA $98,216

Los Angeles, CA $98,189

Juneau, AK $97,958

Washington, DC $97,860

Orange, CA $97,544

Santa Ana, CA $97,309

Long Beach, CA $97,220

Anaheim, CA $97,203

Anchorage, AK $97,158

Santa Maria, CA $96,892

Everett, WA $96,874

Danbury, CT $96,561

Bremerton, WA $96,438

Tacoma, WA $96,119

New Suffolk, NY $96,117

Sacramento, CA $96,092

Santa Barbara, CA $95,994

Trenton, NJ $95,896

San Diego, CA $95,896

Brockton, MA $95,799

Fairbanks, AK $95,581

Lompoc, CA $95,354

Lowell, MA $95,282

Ventura, CA $95,265

Nashua, NH $95,248

Stockton, CA $95,239

Modesto, CA $94,590

Poughkeepsie, NY $94,395

Olympia, WA $94,226

Kennewick, WA $94,226

New Haven, CT $94,190

Lawrence, MA $93,870

Hartford, CT $93,781

Riverside, CA $93,764

New Bedford, MA $93,675

Richland, WA $93,675

Bakersfield, CA $93,550

San Bernardino, CA $93,515

New Britain, CT $93,506

Atlantic City, NJ $93,506

New London, CT $93,470

Norwich, CT $93,444

Portsmouth, NH $93,426

Boulder, CO $93,237

Portland, OR $93,115

Worcester, MA $93,106

Minneapolis, MN $92,830

Philadelphia, PA $92,706

Honolulu, HI $92,413

Saint Paul, MN $92,370

Vineland, NJ $92,351

Providence, RI $92,093

Chicago, IL $91,835

Bellingham, WA $91,729

Springfield, MA $91,657

Baltimore, MD $91,631

Chico, CA $91,409

Pittsfield, MA $91,169

Manchester, NH $91,000

Spokane, WA $90,609

Denver, CO $90,600

Albany, NY $90,182

Troy, NY $90,147

Nassau, NY $90,052

Schenectady, NY $89,960

Wilmington, DE $89,889

Burlington, VT $89,765

Salem, OR $89,729

Portland, ME $89,454

Yakima, WA $89,365

Rochester, MN $89,089

Reno, NV $89,045

Fresno, CA $89,045

Milwaukee, WI $88,965

Detroit, MI $88,876

Ann Arbor, MI $88,861

Allentown, PA $88,849

Colorado Springs, CO $88,698

Syracuse, NY $88,654

Carson City, NV $88,654

Houston, TX $88,529

Eugene, OR $88,485

Gary, IN $88,378

Springfield, OR $88,307

Bismarck, ND $88,289

Galveston, TX $88,227

Medford, OR $88,094

Fort Collins, CO $88,058

Concord, NH $88,014

Austin, TX $87,987

Mesa, AZ $87,801

Reading, PA $87,792

Phoenix, AZ $87,783

Dallas, TX $87,756

Saint Cloud, MN $87,671

Madison, WI $87,552

Utica, NY $87,312

Rochester, NY $87,170

Des Moines, IA $87,161

Raleigh, NC $87,152

Atlanta, GA $87,019

Battle Creek, MI $86,992

Salt Lake City, UT $86,965

Lancaster, PA $86,832

Harrisburg, PA $86,708

Kansas City, MO $86,619

Champaign, IL $86,601

Kansas City, KS $86,601

Fort Worth, TX $86,592

Columbus, OH $86,577

Boca Raton, FL $86,556

Pittsburgh, PA $86,521

Richmond, VA $86,485

Indianapolis, IN $86,468

Cleveland, OH $86,459

Las Vegas, NV $86,352

Cincinnati, OH $86,352

Petersburg, VA $86,219

Huntsville, AL $86,085

Lansing, MI $86,026

Lebanon, PA $86,014

Pueblo, CO $86,005

Appleton, WI $85,979

Buffalo, NY $85,943

Dayton, OH $85,917

Racine, WI $85,899

Charlotte, NC $85,890

Saint Louis, MO $85,863

York, PA $85,810

Elkhart, IN $85,810

Gastonia, NC $85,793

Billings, MT $85,772

Beaumont, TX $85,748

Lorain, OH $85,730

Benton Harbor, MI $85,712

Toledo, OH $85,694

Binghamton, NY $85,650

Rock Hill, SC $85,641

Rockford, IL $85,597

Springfield, IL $85,561

Elyria, OH $85,552

Fargo, ND $85,552

Flagstaff, AZ $85,490

Fort Lauderdale, FL $85,437

Duluth, MN $85,383

Miami, FL $85,383

Cheyenne, WY $85,321

Grand Forks, ND $85,321

Bangor, ME $85,126

Cedar Rapids, IA $85,028

Durham, NC $84,991

Louisville, KY $84,984

Grand Rapids, MI $84,966

Hialeah, FL $84,957

Casper, WY $84,832

Scranton, PA $84,726

New Orleans, LA $84,699

Virginia Beach, VA $84,690

Akron, OH $84,646

Peoria, IL $84,530

Sarasota, FL $84,513

Nashville, TN $84,450

Omaha, NE $84,450

Green Bay, WI $84,450

Baton Rouge, LA $84,406

Charleston, SC $84,388

Jamestown, NY $84,344

Davenport, IA $84,344

Tucson, AZ $84,299

Saint Petersburg, FL $84,246

Tampa, FL $84,228

Evansville, IN $84,175

Port Arthur, TX $84,175

Bradenton, FL $84,139

Santa Fe, NM $83,979

Orlando, FL $83,819

Clearwater, FL $83,793

Canton, OH $83,606

La Crosse, WI $83,606

Albuquerque, NM $83,553

Newport News, VA $83,544

High Point, NC $83,517

Ogden, UT $83,482

Corpus Christi, TX $83,411

Norfolk, VA $83,357

Laramie, WY $83,357

Rock Island, IL $83,304

Saginaw, MI $83,286

Jacksonville, FL $83,277

Salisbury, NC $83,259

Boise, ID $83,242

Moline, IL $83,197

Fort Myers, FL $83,171

Memphis, TN $83,153

Tulsa, OK $83,108

Waterloo, IA $83,055

Spartanburg, SC $82,966

Lincoln, NE $82,922

Fort Wayne, IN $82,904

Provo, UT $82,895

Cedar Falls, IA $82,788

San Antonio, TX $82,753

Greensboro, NC $82,717

South Bend, IN $82,709

Savannah, GA $82,611

Muskegon, MI $82,575

Birmingham, AL $82,566

Winston Salem, NC $82,523

Lake Charles, LA $82,309

Anderson, IN $82,291

Lexington, KY $82,264

Augusta, GA $82,238

Greenville, SC $82,238

Lima, OH $82,166

Wichita, KS $82,158

Tuscaloosa, AL $82,158

Columbia, SC $82,078

Springfield, OH $82,060

Asheville, NC $81,918

Bloomington, IN $81,855

Knoxville, TN $81,535

Shreveport, LA $81,527

Wilmington, NC $81,411

Roanoke, VA $81,411

Topeka, KS $81,251

Frankfort, KY $81,241

Oklahoma City, OK $81,180

Chillicothe, OH $81,144

Longview, TX $81,136

Melbourne, FL $81,127

Sioux Falls, SD $80,984

Mobile, AL $80,976

Terre Haute, IN $80,940

Altoona, PA $80,887

Amarillo, TX $80,825

Killeen, TX $80,798

Fayetteville, AR $80,727

Chattanooga, TN $80,700

Sioux City, IA $80,620

Idaho Falls, ID $80,602

Lynchburg, VA $80,531

Gainesville, FL $80,416

Portsmouth, OH $80,371

Little Rock, AR $80,354

Lafayette, LA $80,318

Youngstown, OH $80,318

Daytona Beach, FL $80,265

Clarksville, TN $80,256

Pensacola, FL $80,247

Temple, TX $80,241

Hopkinsville, KY $79,980

Erie, PA $79,963

Florence, SC $79,927

Charleston, WV $79,785

Great Falls, MT $79,740

Macon, GA $79,616

Tallahassee, FL $79,607

Fayetteville, NC $79,589

Waco, TX $79,572

Helena, MT $79,509

Pine Bluff, AR $79,476

Vincennes, IN $79,367

Lubbock, TX $79,332

Alamogordo, NM $79,278

Twin Falls, ID $79,198

Rapid City, SD $79,172

Jackson, MS $79,012

Huntington, WV $79,005

Greenville, MS $79,003

Parkersburg, WV $78,912

Montgomery, AL $78,896

Wichita Falls, TX $78,807

Springfield, MO $78,807

Biloxi, MS $78,763

Monroe, LA $78,674

Johnstown, PA $78,612

Sumter, SC $78,576

Columbus, GA $78,567

Pascagoula, MS $78,398

Abilene, TX $78,398

Kingsport, TN $78,167

Albany, GA $78,167

Gulfport, MS $78,141

Alexandria, LA $77,847

Fort Smith, AR $77,625

El Paso, TX $77,385

Las Cruces, NM $76,985

Harlingen, TX $76,760

Pocatello, ID $76,746

Florence, AL $76,630

Brownsville, TX $76,612

Mcallen, TX $76,426

Dothan, AL $76,301

Columbus, MS $75,773

Altus, OK $75,359

Lawton, OK $75,190

Pierre, SD $74,870

What Skills Can Increase an Engine Captain's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Planning (Mentioned in 9.11% 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.
Emergency Services (Mentioned in 3.31% Job Postings): Emergency Services are the public organizations that respond to and deal with emergencies when they occur, especially those that provide police, ambulance, and firefighting services.
Square (Mentioned in 1.36% Job Postings): Square in geometry, a plane figure with four equal sides and four right (90°) angles. A square is a special kind of rectangle and a special kind of parallelogram.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	9.11%
Emergency Services	3.31%
Square	1.36%

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 an Engine Captain's salary.

Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Strategic Planning: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Project Management	$96,865	9%
Strategic Planning	$95,976	8%
Collaboration	$94,199	6%
Quality Assurance	$94,199	6%
Emergency Management	$92,422	4%
Initiative	$92,422	4%

Get Latest Data

Engine Captain Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Engine Captain'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 June 01, 2026

$77,264

Average $88,867/year

$102,010

$6,439

Average $7,406/month

$8,501

$1,486

Average $1,709/week

$1,962

$37

Average $43/hour

$49

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$102,010	$8,501	$1,962	$49
Average	$88,867	$7,406	$1,709	$43
25th Percentile	$77,264	$6,439	$1,486	$37

Salaries of jobs related to Engine Captain

Salary Trends for Engine Captain

Salaries for an Engine Captain can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $90,430 in 2023 to around $89,817 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Engine Captain salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Engine Captain Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$90,430

2024

$90,526

2025

$89,817

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$90,430
2024	$90,526
2025	$89,817
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Engine Captain

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