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Firefighters

Puts out fires and responds to rescues and medical emergencies.

Typical education to startPostsecondary nondegree award
Job outlook2025–2035: +4%
Median pay$59,280 a year (2025)
Interest codeR Realistic

Read the full guide

Firefighters fight fires, rescue people from crashes and collapses, handle hazardous spills, and answer many medical calls. In much of Pennsylvania, fire companies are mostly volunteers; cities and some suburbs have paid departments.

Open the firefighter guide

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High school courses that build toward it

Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.

Firefighters on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.