Washington Firefighter Salaries by Department
Starting pay at 24 Washington fire departments, taken from the pay figures each department published in its own job postings over the last two years. Across 38 current Washington listings with annual pay, the average starting salary is $79,391.
Highest recent entry-level starting pay in Washington
- 1. Mountlake Terrace Fire Department $142,697 (Washington State Lateral Firefighter Paramedic, September 2026)
- 2. South Snohomish County Fire and Rescue Regional Fire Authority $142,697 (Washington State Lateral Firefighter Paramedic, September 2026)
- 3. Sumner Fire Department $107,448 (Firefighter/EMT-Basic, July 2026)
- 4. Tumwater Fire Department $100,692 (Lateral Firefighter, September 2026)
- 5. Oak Harbor Fire Department $100,494 (Firefighter/Paramedic (Entry / Lateral), October 2026)
Washington departments with official pay schedules
- Seattle Fire Department $102,048 entry pay a year (Source: Recruiting page, 2026 (rates on page as of 2026-10-10; matches posting opened 10/06/2026) · 2026)
All Washington departments with posted pay
| Department | Starting pay posted | Top of range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountlake Terrace Fire Department · Mountlake Terrace | $99,268 to $142,697 | $142,697 | 6 |
| Clark County Fire District 6 · Vancouver | $88,836 to $104,064 | $142,128 | 4 |
| Washington DNR Wildland Fire Management · Olympia | $42,780 to $54,204 | $72,900 | 4 |
| City of Bellingham Fire Department · Bellingham | $96,144 to $108,444 | Not listed | 3 |
| Kitsap County Fire District #12 · Bremerton | $81,721 to $91,936 | $152,561 | 3 |
| City of DuPont Fire Department · DuPont | $79,846 to $82,330 | $109,798 | 2 |
| South Snohomish County Fire and Rescue Regional Fire Authority · Everett | $124,085 to $142,697 | Not listed | 2 |
| Anacortes Fire Department · Anacortes | $148,355 | $187,716 | 1 |
| Bainbridge Island Fire Department · Bainbridge Island | $89,719 | $119,626 | 1 |
| Bellevue Fire Department · Bellevue | $122,859 | $156,803 | 1 |
| Cheney Fire Department · Cheney | $93,635 | $106,615 | 1 |
| City of Spokane Fire Department · Spokane | $118,995 | $133,277 | 1 |
| Guemes Island Fire Department - Skagit County Fire Protection District # 17 · Anacortes | $131,811 | $166,783 | 1 |
| Kirkland Fire Department · Kirkland | $99,048 | $133,849 | 1 |
| Lynden Fire Department · Lynden | $84,917 | $104,836 | 1 |
| Marysville Fire District · Marysville | $87,255 | $124,650 | 1 |
| Oak Harbor Fire Department · Oak Harbor | $100,494 | $121,632 | 1 |
| Olympia Fire Department · Olympia | $89,424 | $119,232 | 1 |
| Pierce County Fire District #21 (Graham Fire & Rescue) · Graham | $87,540 | $120,048 | 1 |
| Snohomish County Fire Protection District #15 · Tulalip | $96,114 | $124,813 | 1 |
| South Kitsap Fire and Rescue · Port Orchard | $90,998 | $108,547 | 1 |
| Sumner Fire Department · Sumner | $107,448 | Not listed | 1 |
| Tumwater Fire Department · Tumwater | $100,692 | $118,464 | 1 |
| Snoqualmie Pass Fire & Rescue · Snoqualmie Pass | $42.75/hr | Not listed | 1 |
Figures are as each department listed them in closed postings. Current openings show their pay to FireJobs members.