Fire Chief Salary in the United States

Pay Job Details Skills Salary Comparison Average Salaries Cost of Living Pay Adjustments FAQs About Our Data
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  2. > Salary
  3. > Fire Chief
  4. > United States

Last Updated: July 13, 2026

$132,244 USD

per year
Hourly Rate $63.58
Bonus $5,171

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Entry Level $92K
Average $132K
Senior Level $161K

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The average pay for a Fire Chief is $132,244, which is $63.58 an hour in the United States. The average salary range for a Fire Chief is between $92,439 and $160,809. On average, a Bachelor's is the highest level of education for a Fire Chief.

This compensation analysis comes from aggregated salary survey data for the United States. ERI's compensation information is based on employer-reported data collected from ERI's salary surveys, customer HRIS data, data from Proxies/10Ks and Forms 990, proprietary databases, and purchased survey data. Cost-of-labor data in the Assessor Series are based on actual housing sales data from commercially available sources, plus rental rates, gasoline prices, consumables, medical care premium costs, property taxes, effective income tax rates, etc. For more information, see ERI's methodology.

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Salary Potential for Fire Chief

Explore the estimated salary growth for Fire Chief in the United States for up to 5 years. The estimated salary of Fire Chief in 1 year will be $135,935, and in 5 years, will be $151,754.

Number of Years

2 Years

Estimated Salary

$139,728 USD

Percentage Growth

0%

Growth Trajectory

The estimated salary growth for Fire Chief in [# of years] is [salary], which is [average growth %] average growth. This information is based on ERI's compensation database.

What Does a Fire Chief Do?

Heads and directs operations of a fire department. Develops and implements plans, goals, objectives, and priorities for the organization, and aligns objectives with the municipality's goals and public safety priorities. Collaborates with officials to establish and update departmental policies, procedures, and guidelines. Prepares and manages the annual budget and allocates resources to support operational needs. Coordinates firefighting and emergency response efforts during incidents and confirms deployment of personnel and resources.

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Education, Skills, and Certifications for Fire Chiefs

Gain access to salary differentials for education and skills in ERI's Salary Assessor

Education

Below is the average education level for a Fire Chief. About 34% have a Bachelor's degree, 28% have a Associate degree, and 19% have a High School Diploma.

  • Bachelor's Degree 34%
  • Associate Degree 28%
  • High School Diploma 19%
  • Master's Degree 12%
  • Less Than HS 6%
  • Doctorate Degree 0%

Top Skills

Below are top skills for a Fire Chief.

Do you have certifications for Fire Chief?

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Compare Fire Chief Salaries by Location

See how Fire Chief salaries vary by region and find the best location for your career.

Average Salaries for Fire Chief

The average salary of fire chief in the United States is $132,244. The average salary of fire chief in California is $147,727. The average salary of fire chief in Canada is $128,367. Explore the average salaries for fire chief in other locations below.

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Cost of Living in the United States

The cost of living in the United States is 0% equal to than the national average.

Whether you're planning to move or just want to see the cost of living in different locations, our cost-of-living calculator is the place to start. Compare salaries for other locations by city, U.S. ZIP code, state, or country.

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Why Your Salary May Look Different

This information is based on a specific job title and location, but real-world compensation can vary based on factors like years of experience, company size, shift differentials, and more. Because of these variables, your actual pay may fall above or below the average ranges shown. Use ERI's salary data and compensation management platform to identify market trends and accurately adjust pay so that you can price jobs competitively.

Based on the average salary in the United States, if your shift differential is 10%, then your pay will increase by $6.36/hour

*Some jobs may not be adjusted using shift differentials. Please contact [email protected] for additional information.

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Use ERI's shift differential data to calculate pay for night, day, and swing shifts to benchmark compensation with confidence. Our robust salary survey data can help you accurately price roles using industry-specific shift policies.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Fire Chief salaries and career insights

How much does a Fire Chief make in the United States?

ERI's data indicated that, on average, a Fire Chief is $132,244 per year or $63.58 per hour in the United States, which is 1% lower than the national average. Top earners have reported making up to $160,809. However, the typical pay range in the United States, is between $92,439 and $160,809 annually.

What is the salary potential for Fire Chief in 5 years?

Fire Chief is projected to see 14.8% salary growth in 5 years.

What are some factors that impact Fire Chief salaries?

Several factors can impact the salary, including experience, company size, job market, location, industry, and more. Understanding how these factors affect the role can provide opportunities to earn more. Use our salary calculator to find out how much you should be paid based on what someone in your area, with similar experience, earns.

How can I accurately price jobs for my organization?

There are several factors that can impact the salary, including experience, company size, job market, location, industry, education, certificates, shift differentials, and more. Understanding how these factors affect the role can help you spot pay gaps and retain top talent. ERI's Assessor Platform brings these factors together in one platform, making it easy to benchmark roles, analyze insights, and set pay with confidence.

What is ERI Economic Research Institute?

ERI Economic Research Institute was founded over 35 years ago to provide trusted compensation data for private and public organizations. ERI has established itself as a gold standard for global salary benchmarking and geographic differentials and has evolved to offer a complete compensation management software solution.

How can ERI help HR and compensation experts?

With decades of experience in compensation, ERI offers an extensive and reliable salary survey database powered by the Assessor Platform, a comprehensive compensation management solution that optimizes complex processes for accuracy and efficiency.

HR and compensation professionals in organizations ranging from small companies to the Fortune 500 rely on ERI's Assessor Platform to:

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  • And so much more
How often does ERI's compensation database get updated?

ERI's team of PhD-level data scientists and seasoned compensation professionals review and validate our salary data approximately every six weeks, ensuring the accuracy of the data that we publish. Learn more about our methodology.

What educational resources does ERI offer for professionals?

ERI offers 36 free self-study courses through our Distance Learning Center, helping professionals master technical domains like market pricing and geographic differentials. While course content is complimentary, practitioners can choose to pursue the Compensation Analyst (CAC) or Compensation Committee (CCC) credentials to validate their expertise and earn up to 20 HRCI or SHRM recertification credits. Learn more.

About Our Data

This page is an excerpt of the much more complete compensation information available in ERI's Assessor Series.

For over 35 years, ERI has compiled the most robust and accurate salary, cost-of-living, and executive compensation survey database available. Data are analyzed using AI and traditional statistics, depending on which approach is best for a particular application. ERI collects salary survey data from five different sources, which you can learn about here.

Verified Sources

Data sourced from internal salary surveys, purchased surveys, public sources, HRIS data, and proprietary databases.

Real-Time Data

Our salary database is updated and verified approximately every six weeks.

Quality Assurance

Along with our data scientists, we have included AI in our rigorous process to analyze and provide the highest quality data.

10,500+

Locations

35,900+

Job Titles

4,400+

Skills

5,500+

Certifications

1,100+

Industries

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