How Much First Responders Make in Every State

As wildfires rage from Washington down to California, displacing thousands of residents and destroying billions of dollars in property, first responders have stepped in to provide aid. Being on the front line in an emergency is a scary job, but someone has to do it. It turns out, though, they might not be doing it for all that much.

GOBankingRates looked at the salaries of emergency personnel, including firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, and police officers in every state using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their salaries ranged widely across the country. For instance, firefighters in West Virginia make just $30,180 — $24,470 below the average U.S. salary for the profession. In California, on the other hand, firefighters are paid $84,370 but must contend with a higher cost of living and massive infernos every year.

So, are firefighters, police officers and EMTs and paramedics really making enough money to put their lives on the line every day? That’s a matter of opinion. To help you decide, GOBankingRates ranked and ordered the states from worst to best for emergency personnel. Find out whether or not these workers are making bank in your state.

Last updated: Sept. 11, 2020

50. Mississippi

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $32,480
Police annual wage: $36,290
Firefighter annual wage: $30,180

49. West Virginia

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $29,920
Police annual wage: $44,450
Firefighter annual wage: $36,890

48. Kentucky

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $31,250
Police annual wage: $46,720
Firefighter annual wage: $34,030

47. Arkansas

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $34,660
Police annual wage: $40,570
Firefighter annual wage: $36,730

46. Kansas

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $30,890
Police annual wage: $49,910
Firefighter annual wage: $37,250

45. Alabama

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $30,240
Police annual wage: $46,510
Firefighter annual wage: $41,870

44. South Carolina

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $34,670
Police annual wage: $43,520
Firefighter annual wage: $36,360

LightFieldStudios / Getty Images/iStockphoto

43. Georgia

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $34,450
Police annual wage: $44,700
Firefighter annual wage: $38,900

KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Getty Images/iStockphoto

42. North Carolina

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $38,270
Police annual wage: $47,340
Firefighter annual wage: $34,110

41. Louisiana

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $42,310
Police annual wage: $42,470
Firefighter annual wage: $31,150

40. South Dakota

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $32,620
Police annual wage: $49,690
Firefighter annual wage: $45,820

39. New Mexico

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $36,410
Police annual wage: $53,750
Firefighter annual wage: $36,620

38. Maine

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $35,690
Police annual wage: $53,170
Firefighter annual wage: $39,430

37. Vermont

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $35,570
Police annual wage: $53,070
Firefighter annual wage: $39,970

Find Out: What the Average Take-Home Salary Looks Like in Your State

36. Utah

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $35,630
Police annual wage: $56,170
Firefighter annual wage: $38,360

35. Oklahoma

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $36,170
Police annual wage: $48,060
Firefighter annual wage: $44,860

34. Tennessee

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $38,500
Police annual wage: $45,370
Firefighter annual wage: $44,400

33. Michigan

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $33,760
Police annual wage: $58,770
Firefighter annual wage: $46,010

32. Montana

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $32,050
Police annual wage: $56,710
Firefighter annual wage: $51,880

31. Idaho

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $39,330
Police annual wage: $54,120
Firefighter annual wage: $39,260

30. Wyoming

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $35,430
Police annual wage: $56,120
Firefighter annual wage: $46,180

29. Wisconsin

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $35,940
Police annual wage: $63,970
Firefighter annual wage: $40,360

28. North Dakota

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $35,150
Police annual wage: $58,770
Firefighter annual wage: $46,080

27. Ohio

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $34,020
Police annual wage: $62,880
Firefighter annual wage: $47,820

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26. Missouri

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $37,120
Police annual wage: $51,860
Firefighter annual wage: $51,110

25. Indiana

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $35,350
Police annual wage: $56,780
Firefighter annual wage: $51,050

24. Iowa

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $36,720
Police annual wage: $59,730
Firefighter annual wage: $46,640

23. Nebraska

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $35,500
Police annual wage: $58,860
Firefighter annual wage: $50,150

22. New Hampshire

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $37,710
Police annual wage: $58,820
Firefighter annual wage: $47,120

IPGGutenbergUKLtd / Getty Images/iStockphoto

21. Virginia

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $36,040
Police annual wage: $58,330
Firefighter annual wage: $53,470

20. Florida

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $36,190
Police annual wage: $60,720
Firefighter annual wage: $51,300

19. Arizona

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $38,350
Police annual wage: $66,970
Firefighter annual wage: $46,870

18. Texas

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $37,000
Police annual wage: $63,740
Firefighter annual wage: $54,760

17. Pennsylvania

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $34,310
Police annual wage: $68,940
Firefighter annual wage: $58,720

16. Minnesota

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $43,620
Police annual wage: $71,840
Firefighter annual wage: $39,390

15. Rhode Island

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $40,820
Police annual wage: $63,690
Firefighter annual wage: $56,150

14. Delaware

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $43,200
Police annual wage: $73,740
Firefighter annual wage: $46,390

13. Nevada

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $37,320
Police annual wage: $73,660
Firefighter annual wage: $69,310

Mihajlo Maricic / Getty Images/iStockphoto

12. Colorado

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $41,880
Police annual wage: $75,720
Firefighter annual wage: $63,050

11. Illinois

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $43,310
Police annual wage: $78,350
Firefighter annual wage: $58,170

10. Massachusetts

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $44,140
Police annual wage: $72,400
Firefighter annual wage: $62,680

9. Oregon

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $42,660
Police annual wage: $73,300
Firefighter annual wage: $68,540

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8. Connecticut

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $46,510
Police annual wage: $73,270
Firefighter annual wage: $65,700

7. Maryland

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $50,750
Police annual wage: $71,170
Firefighter annual wage: $62,750

6. New Jersey

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $37,550
Police annual wage: $86,840
Firefighter annual wage: $80,890

5. Alaska

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $50,640
Police annual wage: $87,870
Firefighter annual wage: $54,380

4. New York

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $44,920
Police annual wage: $77,490
Firefighter annual wage: $75,160

3. Hawaii

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $56,610
Police annual wage: $78,720
Firefighter annual wage: $64,110

2. Washington

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $56,140
Police annual wage: $80,200
Firefighter annual wage: $76,970

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP/REX / Shutterstock.com

1. California

EMT/paramedic annual wage: $43,680
Police annual wage: $105,220
Firefighter annual wage: $84,370

More From GOBankingRates

Photos are for illustrative purposes only. As a result, some of the images may not reflect the states listed in this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined how much first responders earn in every state, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics for May 2019 (latest data available) for the mean annual wages of three core first responder jobs in all 50 U.S. states: (1) police and sheriff’s patrol officers, (2) emergency medical technicians and paramedics and (3) firefighters. Each job’s salary was scored, added up and ranked from worst paying states to best. All data compiled on Sept. 9, 2020.