RecommendedPublic safety
Firefighter exam guide by state
Firefighter candidates must pass a written civil service exam that measures cognitive skills needed on the job. The exam ranks candidates on an eligibility list used by the fire department when hiring.
Hiring outlook
Competitive but steady in metro departments
Average salary
$68k median track
Exam difficulty
Moderate
Featured state
California
Typical agencies
Municipal fire departments, airport fire rescue, county districts
Exam length
2–3 hours
Written civil service exam
Competitive score
Typically 70% to pass; 80%+ to be competitive
State coverage
50 role pages
Searchable by state and region
State pages
Open a state guide to compare salary patterns, exam sections, and the administering civil service body.
Show all 50 statesHide state groups
State pages
Open a state guide to compare salary patterns, exam sections, and the administering civil service body.
Northeast
11 statesConnecticutCT · Connecticut Department of Administrative ServicesDelawareDE · Delaware Department of Human ResourcesMaineME · Maine Bureau of Human ResourcesMarylandMD · Maryland Department of Budget and ManagementMassachusettsMA · Massachusetts Human Resources DivisionNew HampshireNH · New Hampshire Division of PersonnelNew JerseyNJ · New Jersey Civil Service CommissionNew YorkNY · New York Department of Civil ServicePennsylvaniaPA · Pennsylvania State Civil Service CommissionRhode IslandRI · Rhode Island Department of AdministrationVermontVT · Vermont Department of Human Resources
South
12 statesAlabamaAL · Alabama State Personnel DepartmentArkansasAR · Arkansas Office of Personnel ManagementFloridaFL · Florida Department of Management ServicesGeorgiaGA · Georgia State Personnel AdministrationKentuckyKY · Kentucky Personnel CabinetLouisianaLA · Louisiana Department of Civil ServiceMississippiMS · Mississippi State Personnel BoardNorth CarolinaNC · North Carolina Office of State Human ResourcesSouth CarolinaSC · South Carolina Division of State Human ResourcesTennesseeTN · Tennessee Department of Human ResourcesVirginiaVA · Virginia Department of Human Resource ManagementWest VirginiaWV · West Virginia Division of Personnel
Midwest
12 statesIllinoisIL · Illinois Department of Central Management ServicesIndianaIN · Indiana State Personnel DepartmentIowaIA · Iowa Department of Administrative ServicesKansasKS · Kansas Department of AdministrationMichiganMI · Michigan Civil Service CommissionMinnesotaMN · Minnesota Department of Employee RelationsMissouriMO · Missouri Office of AdministrationNebraskaNE · Nebraska Department of Administrative ServicesNorth DakotaND · North Dakota Office of Management and BudgetOhioOH · Ohio Department of Administrative ServicesSouth DakotaSD · South Dakota Bureau of Human ResourcesWisconsinWI · Wisconsin Department of Administration
Southwest
4 statesWest
11 statesAlaskaAK · Alaska Department of AdministrationCaliforniaCA · California Department of Human Resources (CalHR)ColoradoCO · Colorado Department of Personnel & AdministrationHawaiiHI · Hawaii Department of Human Resources DevelopmentIdahoID · Idaho Division of Human ResourcesMontanaMT · Montana Department of AdministrationNevadaNV · Nevada Department of AdministrationOregonOR · Oregon Department of Administrative ServicesUtahUT · Utah Department of Human Resource ManagementWashingtonWA · Washington Department of Enterprise ServicesWyomingWY · Wyoming Department of Administration and Information