Chicago firefighter salary: City of Chicago :: CPAT Candidate Preparation Guide

Average Salaries – City of Chicago Fire Department Earnings

March 14, 2017/in News /by admin

This data is compiled using public dataset released by the City of Chicago

Date Created 2/24/2017

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Fire Fighter Salaries in Chicago,IL by education, experience, performance and more

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Fire Fighter Salaries in Chicago, IL


































Job Title	Salary	Hourly Rate	Location	Date Updated
Fire Fighter I	$51,721	$24. 87	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Fire Fighter II	$66,495	$31.97	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Fire Captain	$90,492	$43. 51	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Fire Inspector	$74,490	$35.81	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Fire Prevention Engineer	$66,339	$31. 89	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Fire Inspector Supervisor	$88,845	$42.71	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Emergency Dispatcher	$43,900	$21. 11	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Security Guard Team Leader	$58,429	$28.09	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Emergency Response Planning Specialist	$116,039	$55. 79	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022
Security Manager	$109,057	$52.43	Chicago, IL	November 23, 2022

See All Fire Fighter’s Salaries for Chicago IL

how much they earn on average in America

Although this profession is not among the most common, its representatives are in great demand, because they perform such important tasks: ensuring security, saving lives and property. The salary of a firefighter in the United States makes it possible to cover all basic expenses, and also allows you to lead a completely decent life. However, it is not among the very high, as in representatives of a number of other professions. So how much do firefighters in the USA get and what are the features of this type of activity?

What is the job of a firefighter and how to become one

Contrary to popular belief, American firefighters perform a variety of tasks, and not just put out fires:

• Respond to emergency calls.
• Watch for messages in case of emergencies.
• Drive fire engines and other support vehicles.
• Extinguishing fires.
• Find and rescue victims in burning buildings.
• Take part in liquidation of other emergencies.

Many firefighters are also paramedics and may be called to provide emergency medical care.

What do firefighters do at work?

Often employees work in shifts, several days in a row, and eat and sleep right in the fire station, in specially designated areas. While on the job, firefighters can have long wait times between calls, so they spend downtime checking and maintaining equipment and the fire department, and training new employees.

When a station receives a call, employees on duty are notified through loudspeakers. Firefighters must respond quickly and work as a team to quickly and safely arrive on the scene. At the scene, they must take care of any people who are injured or in difficult and dangerous situations, as well as provide assistance to medical personnel and the police. In addition, they will not only put out the fire, but also neutralize the scene and help assess the damage. Once the fire is out, they return to the station to refuel their vehicles, replace supplies, clean equipment, and prepare for the next call.

What do they do besides putting out fires?

Firefighters in America have to earn their wages through difficult and very dangerous work. In addition to putting out fires, firefighters also provide care for the sick or injured, report traffic accidents, pull people out of damaged vehicles, and help with spills of hazardous materials.

When employees are not on an active call, they prepare written emergency reports, clean and maintain their equipment, and conduct drills and fitness sessions. Many firefighters also provide public fire safety training in schools and businesses.

What are the requirements for firefighters?

To become a firefighter, you do not have to meet any special requirements for formal education. However, you will need to complete a series of training courses to be eligible to apply for a job. Professional firefighters go through several months of physical and classroom training. In addition, they must learn basic medical procedures, incl. and such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Some are also training to become a paramedic.

Applicants must be able to handle heavy and complex equipment such as oxygen tanks, hydrants, nozzles and hoses. Aspiring firefighters often serve as trainees for months with a team of more experienced colleagues to see different firefighting and emergency response options. Only after that they can be recognized as ready for work. Even after certification, firefighters must receive regular additional training and maintain their skills and knowledge. It is essential that workers are in good physical condition and able to carry heavy equipment to perform most firefighting functions.

US Firefighter Job Market

There are currently approximately 327,000 firefighters in the United States. The firefighter job market is expected to grow by 7.2% between now and 2026.

The US is projected to need 27,800 firefighters over the next 10 years. This number is based in part on the fact that more than 20,000 current active firefighters will retire.

Firefighter salary

As of May 2021, the average firefighter salary in the US is $44,421 per year. This means the wage is equivalent to $21.36 an hour, $854 a week, or $3,702 a month.

Annual earnings range from $23,000 to $67,000 (data from Ziprecruiter. com). Most firefighter salaries currently range from $34,500 (25th percentile) to $54,500 (75th percentile). The highest paid employees (the 10% richest) earn $63,500 a year.

The average pay range for a firefighter varies greatly (up to $20,000). This disparity in income suggests that there are many opportunities for promotion and increase in earnings. It may depend on the level of qualification, the city of your residence, as well as work experience.

What is the average salary of a firefighter by state

Firefighters in America earn more or less, depending on the state in which they live and work. Here is a list of the top 10 states in this area:

State	per year	Per month	per week	per hour
New York	$52.902	$4,409	$1,017	$25. 43
New Hampshire	$51,372	$4,281	$988	$24.70
Wyoming	$47,153	$3,929	$907	$22.67
West Virginia	$45,962	$3,830	$884	$22.10
Pennsylvania	$45,740	$3,812	$880	$21.99
Massachusetts	$45,400	$3,783	$873	$21.83
Montana	$44,471	$3,706	$855	$21.38
Hawaii	$44,382	$3,699	$854	$21.34
Arizona	$44,013	$3,668	$846	$21.16
Washington	$43,787	$3,649	$842	$21.05

As we can see, firefighters in America are paid quite decent money. To convert how much it is in rubles or any other currency, use the online calculator:

Currency Converter

Life of the most famous US fire station

“From childhood, I dreamed of growing up and becoming a fireman,” says Chicago lifeguard Fred Talavera. We visited the legendary Chicago Fire Station No. 18, whose employees put out fires, pull people out of wrecked cars, get cats from trees, dogs from rooftops, and in their free time from challenges, they star in a hot TV series about themselves.

We continue to talk about our great trip around the USA by car in a joint project with Korona Techno.

“Beware, the men are cooking”

Our guide for the part is Fred Talavera, who has worked in the brigade for 11 years. Behind him are dozens of rescued people, a pit bull and a puppy. Fred meets us at the entrance and takes us to the garage.

“Being a firefighter was not easy. I came already at a mature age, and I had to fight for the right to become a lifeguard with young guys. It turned out to successfully pass the training and enter the service. At that time, the preparation took six months, now it takes nine, – the interlocutor explained.

Our way to the heart of the depot lies through the corridor, the walls of which are decorated with propaganda posters, photographs and a calendar with half-naked buff rescuers and paramedics. Models for filming were collected from different teams. All their own, home-grown, will give odds to any athlete.

The famous fire station often hosts tours. At one of them, the children were asked to briefly explain who, in their understanding, is a “hero”. And they made a whole exposition out of it.

“A hero saves people and protects our city. They keep bad things from happening.”

On the way we notice a rest room and meetings. On the left wall of the room is a large dining table, and behind it is a bar that separates the kitchen.

– This room was equipped for us by the film crew of the series “Chicago on Fire”. They needed such a room for filming,” explained another of our tour guides, firefighter Jesse Rengal.

Sign on the wall: “Beware the men are cooking”

In the corridors you can find old equipment that used to be used by firefighters. The guys also collect patches and emblems of parts from all over the world. We did not find Belarusian or Russian among them.

“Oh Guys, You’re Chicago Firefighters”

Fire Station 18 became most famous in the United States in 2012, when NBC began filming the television series Chicago on Fire (another translation is Chicago Fire), a male version of Grey’s Anatomy, there. The pilot episode of the TV show collected high ratings, and it was immediately renewed for the first season. The series successfully stayed on the air for five years, and from September of this year it will go to the sixth term.

The TV company not only shoots the show on the territory of the depot, but also uses real firefighters in the filming, using the same crew numbers and their heraldry.

On one of the walls there are photos from the filming of the series

– When shooting starts, 50-60 people gather here. In the meantime, we continue to do our job. It was difficult at first, but then we got used to it. Well, the film crew buys us lunch, – Fred laughs. – Our firefighters and rescuers often participate in episodic roles in filming.

The creators of the series like to use real ammunition and firefighters. In addition, this allows them to save money on extras and additional equipment – we all bring our own. The money from the rent of the site does not go to the depot, but to the city budget. It is also a very good way for us to promote our work. We go out on a call, and they say to us: “Oh, guys, you are the Chicago firefighters.”

“I did every episode,” Jesse smiles. – The roles are small, but people sometimes recognize me on the street, they ask me to take a picture, leave an autograph.

Jesse Rengal

The involvement of rescuers and firefighters in the filming adds realism to the series. Although he is still far from a documentary, Fred noted.

– For example, the guys and I worked in an episode where it was necessary to get a victim of an accident out of a car. We acted in the frame as we would work in real life. Of course, there are moments that are too Hollywood, when you look and think: “We wouldn’t do this for anything.” Apart from that, the series is good. One of our past bosses is now involved in its creation as an expert. He tells the writers real stories that happened in the city, rescue cases, and then they are added to the plot,” Fred explained.

Control room where calls are received and monitored. From here, the brigades are called to fires and other incidents by loudspeaker. This location is also filmed for

“Pole, which the unit never had”

The series gives a good idea of ​​how Depot #18 works. The garage serves not only as a place to store vehicles, but also as a gym. In addition to a tanker truck and a paramedic car, there are horizontal bars, exercise equipment, dumbbells and a portable basketball hoop.

Here you can also notice an integral attribute of all old fire stations – a pole. True, he never was in depot No. 18. The fire pole in the garage appeared exclusively for the filming of the series – one end of it rests on the roof, the other on the floor.

Same pole in the middle

“Many years ago, downtown Chicago was predominantly two-story. At the same time, horses and fire carts were located on the first floor, and rooms for firefighters were located on the second. There, fire poles were used for their intended purpose. Ours is exclusively for filming the series,” said Jesse.

“We must be ready to leave within 45 seconds”

Next to the tanker truck are fire boots with lowered trousers and suspenders. They are left in this position in order to put them on as soon as possible on alarm.

Prepared firefighter trousers and boots. On the inside of the tops, the name of the firefighter is written in large letters (so as not to confuse)

“We must be dressed and ready to leave within 45 seconds of the alarm. Young guys fit into this standard. Oldies like me take a little longer,” laughs Fred. – Fire stations are scattered around the city so that the road to the farthest point in your area takes no more than three minutes.

Most often, the firefighters of Chicago Depot No. 18 face medical challenges: deterioration, unfortunate falls, accidents. For each incoming call, a tank truck and a paramedic car are sent to the place.

“Sometimes the police also come out if there have been cases of assault or aggressive behavior at this address. Sometimes it’s just a tank truck. But every rescuer knows how to provide first aid. We are trained to do everything paramedics do. We have exactly the same set of medicines and equipment. The only thing we can’t do is transport the victims,” the interlocutor shared.

Five people ride in the tank truck and the ladder truck. Two, including the driver, in front, three in the back. 2 tank trucks, 2 ladder trucks, a chief’s car and paramedics leave for fires.

A unit employee checks the vehicle between calls. In part, it is refueled, and electronic systems are also charged

– We arrive, and if the fire is confirmed, then the same number of cars and people are connected to us. Thus, from 50 people and more than 10 pieces of equipment can work on one fire. Many calls to fires come because of human inattention. Someone put the shoes in the stove to dry, hung a towel on the heater. Fires sometimes occur in old buildings due to faulty wiring. A lot of calls come from drunk people who fall asleep with a cigarette in their hand or put pizza in the oven and fall asleep themselves,” Fred said.

“The fire engine may not yield on the road”

American hydrants, with which the streets of cities and towns are generously dotted, are not a tribute to tradition, but an urgent need. As Fred explained, the capacity of one tank truck is 500 gallons of water (or almost 1900 liters).

— This is not enough to put out the fire in the house. To extinguish a car – it may be enough, but not for a building. We come to the call, connect the tank truck to the hydrant, and it constantly pumps up water. Water from the sleeve is supplied at a rate of 250 gallons per minute. That is, without a hydrant, the tank truck will be empty in two minutes. That is why parking near hydrants is strictly prohibited, and violators’ cars will definitely be evacuated.

With the provision of the advantage of special equipment on the roads of Chicago, the situation is approximately the same as in Belarus.

“For drivers, giving way to a fire truck with the siren turned on is more of a right than an obligation. Our drivers take risks when they deviate from traffic rules during a call. There was a case when a paramedic was sent to prison due to the fact that he drove with the alarm on a red light. He drove to the intersection, crashed into another car, the driver of which later died. As a result, he was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment. Therefore, even with a siren, we try to drive carefully: slow down at intersections, look for other vehicles.

“Fires in skyscrapers are much more difficult than in ordinary buildings”

Downtown Chicago is filled with skyscrapers. Fires in high-rise buildings are dealt with by a separate rescue team.

“Fires in skyscrapers are much more difficult than in ordinary buildings,” Jesse explained.
In Chicago and some major US cities, a special installation called the Hero pipe is used to extinguish fires in skyscrapers. It was invented by firefighting captain Michael Wilgat. The idea came to him while extinguishing a fire in a skyscraper. He noticed that the hydraulic ladder did not reach the windows of the burning high-rise buildings, and it was very difficult for rescuers to put out the fire.

Then the captain took out a loan and in his garage began to develop a prototype of a device that would successfully cope with fires in high-rise buildings. After eight years of work, the first model was ready.

Wilgat’s Invention – Left

Wilgat’s invention consists of two parts: a base and a periscope-shaped tube to which a fire hose is attached. With the help of supports, the device is fixed under the fire floor, the end of the pipe is installed opposite the window of the burning room, and then water is supplied there under pressure up to 2300 liters per minute. The captain’s invention was successfully tested and put into service by firefighters in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami. As they write in the local press, the cost of one such installation is 50 thousand dollars.

— The patent for this invention belongs to our captain. This is his business. I don’t know how much he earned on this, but he definitely recouped his design and development costs,” Fred said.

“When I started working, I received 49 thousand dollars a year”

Suits of American rescuers are supplied with personal protection devices. If within 30 seconds the device does not detect movement, it starts beeping loudly and sends an alarm signal to the dispatcher’s console. This allows the location of an injured or unconscious rescuer to be located even in conditions of zero visibility.

We have a lot of protection. If you put on the uniform correctly, then the risk of harm to health is minimized, but it is still constantly present. Sometimes people buy houses and make changes to the original design, and then because of such changes, the building becomes weaker and, in a fire, can simply collapse.

Given the risk, Fred Talavera said the salary for a firefighter is slightly above the city average for jobs that don’t require a college degree.

– 11 years ago, when I started working, I received 49 thousand dollars a year. Then, depending on the length of service, my salary increased. Now I earn about 90 thousand dollars. It is not necessary to have a higher education to be promoted in our work. Because everything we learn, we comprehend with experience. You can even become a fire chief without a degree.