Plumber vs Firefighter Salary
Plumbers earn approximately 14.8% more than Firefighters nationally — $61,000 vs $52,000.
Plumber vs Firefighter: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Plumbers out-earn Firefighters by $9,000 per year — a 14.8% gap. That works out to roughly $750/month or $4/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $9,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$90,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$360,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $9,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $1,791,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Plumber in California ≈ $71,980 (1.18× national)
- Plumber in Mississippi ≈ $51,240 (0.84× national)
- Firefighter in California ≈ $61,360
- Firefighter in Mississippi ≈ $43,680
Use our Plumber salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
Other comparisons in Trades
Other comparisons in Public Safety
Related tools
Plumber salary by state — Firefighter salary by state — Best cities for Plumber — Best cities for Firefighter — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.