How to become a firefighter

1. 1Meet the basic hiring requirements

   Time: High schoolSources 1, 3

   Departments generally require applicants to be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or GED and have a valid driver's license. You will also need to pass a medical exam and drug screen before being hired, and many departments run background checks. Start building fitness early: you will be tested on stairs, hose drags and carrying weight while wearing a heavy vest. Some departments require a commercial or firefighter-endorsed driver's license to drive apparatus.

2. 2Earn EMT certification

   Time: Varies by courseCost: Course tuition plus $104 NREMT feeSources 2, 1

   Because most calls are medical, most departments want EMT certification before or soon after hiring. Take a state-approved EMT course, then pass the National Registry cognitive exam and a skills exam, or your state's equivalent. The NREMT application fee is $104 per attempt, and national certification must be renewed every two years with continuing education or a recertification exam. Some candidates go on to paramedic training to stand out.

3. 3Pass the department's written and physical tests

   Time: A few weeks to several monthsCost: Test fees varySources 3, 1

   Each department posts its own hiring process. It usually starts with a written aptitude test, then a physical ability test such as the CPAT: eight events, including a stair climb, hose drag, ladder raise and simulated rescue, finished in 10 minutes and 20 seconds or less while wearing a 50-pound vest. Phoenix, for example, requires proof of a passed CPAT from a licensed provider, valid for 6 months. Interviews, a background check and a medical exam follow.

4. 4Complete the fire academy

   Time: A few monthsCost: Usually paid by the hiring departmentSources 1, 4, 11

   Recruits spend a few months at a department or state academy learning hose and ladder work, search and rescue, ventilation, building construction, hazardous materials response and emergency medical care. Many academies train to the Firefighter I and II levels in NFPA 1010, the 2024 standard that absorbed the old NFPA 1001 firefighter standard. In many states the state fire training agency tests and certifies graduates, and IFSAC or Pro Board accreditation helps that certificate carry over to other states.

5. 5Finish probation and keep training

   Time: Length set by each departmentSources 1, 5, 2

   New firefighters work on probation, during which officers evaluate their skills on real calls and in drills. After that, you keep up EMT continuing education, routine fitness checks and in-house training. Many firefighters add hazmat, technical rescue or driver/operator certifications, and take free courses from the National Fire Academy, run by the U.S. Fire Administration, as they prepare for promotion.

6. 6For wildland firefighting: get basic wildland training and a red card

   Time: About a week of trainingCost: Often provided by the agencySources 7, 6

   Federal and state wildland crews require the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's basic courses, S-190 (fire behavior), S-130 (firefighter training) and L-180 (human factors), which together run about 32-36 hours plus a field day. You must also pass the arduous Work Capacity Test: a 3-mile hike carrying a 45-pound pack in 45 minutes or less. Passing earns the incident qualification card, or red card, renewed with an annual refresher.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Physical strength and stamina

Firefighters carry hose, tools and people up stairs in gear that adds dozens of pounds, sometimes for hours at a large scene.

Patient assessment

Medical calls outnumber fires, so sizing up chest pain, overdoses and injuries quickly is the core of most shifts.

Calm decisions under stress

Choices about where to search, when to retreat and how to treat a patient are made in seconds with incomplete information.

Teamwork in close quarters

Crews live together for 24-hour shifts and depend on each other inside burning buildings, so trust and clear radio talk matter.

Mechanical aptitude

Running pumps, cutting tools and breathing equipment correctly, and spotting problems during daily checks, keeps the crew safe.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: active listening, critical thinking, active learning, speaking, monitoring.

Training cost

$3.7K–$8.4K

Before financial aid

Time

1-2 years

Typical path

Median pay

$59,280

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

0.4–1.0 yrs

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: 1 year at the College Scorecard median public in-state tuition for a fire protection certificate ($3,630) plus the NREMT EMT application fee ($104). High: 2 years of a fire protection associate degree at the median public in-state tuition ($4,139 a year) plus the $104 EMT fee. Departments that hire recruits before the academy usually pay for academy training; gear, books and physical test fees are extra and vary.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Paramedic$60,600 median

  Many firefighters complete a paramedic program after EMT and pass the paramedic exam, and some departments hire only paramedics.

• Driver/operator (engineer)

  The usual first promotion. It takes experience and driver/operator certification under NFPA 1010, plus passing a department promotional exam.

• Lieutenant, captain and battalion chief

  Promotion runs through civil service exams and fire officer certification. BLS notes many departments want a bachelor's degree for ranks above battalion chief.

• Fire inspector or fire investigator

  Experienced firefighters can move into code enforcement or cause-and-origin investigation after added training and certification.

• EMT$44,470 median

  Many people work on an ambulance as an EMT while testing with fire departments, since the same certification is needed for both.