Dear JobMonkey,

Thank you,
John in Chicago

Dear John,

Thanks for your question. You are on the right track because the job of a firefighter is always one of those positions that seem to make the list of recession-proof jobs.

Of course, a quick Google search will reveal that many, many towns are experiencing hiring freezers and some are even cutting back their rescue budgets — including laying off experienced salaried fire fighters in lieu of volunteer firefighters.  That said, with your experience as an EMT, you’d definitely be a valuable member of the team.

As far as salary and pension go, that will really vary by city and state. Pensions, in general, are becoming an increasingly rare benefit — especially in this era of dwindling local budgets. According to payscale.com, the three states with the highest median salary for firefighters are California, New York and Illinois.

For more on firefighter pay, check out JobMonkey’s article on the topic. There is also plenty of information on the fire fighter application process and recruit training if you want to do some more research before you make your career change.

Good luck with your decision! I think either way, you can’t go wrong.

Do you already know you want to be a fire fighter and just need some help finding the right job for you? Check out our new fire fighter job board.  Our user-friendly database lists thousands of openings around the country.