City of Baltimore / Fire Department (218) / Firefighter
Job-title file
Respond to fires and emergencies, perform rescue and medical aid, and carry out prevention and inspection.
3 employees hold this title in Fire Department (218). Median total compensation for the role is $72,113, below the department median of $84,484.
Compared with the local labor market
Across all employers in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area, the median wage for Firefighters — about 2,510 people — is $73,810. Fire Department (218) pays a median base salary of $72,113 for this role, 2% below that figure — about the 47th percentile of local pay for the occupation.
The bar is the range of annual wages for Firefighters across every employer in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Fire Department (218)’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.
And across the country
Nationwide, the median wage for Firefighters — about 345,990 people — is $59,280. Fire Department (218)’s median base salary is 22% above that national figure, about the 68th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.
Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD range relative to the national one.
Median total compensation for this role at Fire Department (218) is $72,113, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.
Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.
Compare departments
Firefighter is held in 50 City of Baltimore departments. In Fire Department (218), the median of $72,113 ranks #21 of 50.
Median total compensation for the Firefighter role in other City of Baltimoredepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.
Compare jurisdictions
This role is reported in 20 jurisdictions. In City of Baltimore, the median of $67,197 ranks #12 of 20. See Firefighter across all of City of Baltimore →
Median total compensation for comparable Firefighter roles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.
Record list
Page 1
Firefighter/Fire Department (218)
Source-specific fields
Clarence Watford holds the role of Firefighter at Fire Department (218). Their tenure dates to 1987, about 26 years. In 2013, their total compensation was $76,731.
Firefighter/Fire Department (218)
Source-specific fields
Charles Washington Jr holds the role of Firefighter at Fire Department (218). Hired in 1987, they have about 26 years of service. In 2013, their total compensation was $72,113.
Firefighter/Fire Department (218)
Source-specific fields
James Middleton Iii holds the role of Firefighter at Fire Department (218). Their tenure dates to 1987, about 26 years. In 2013, their total compensation was $70,975.