National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Firefighters earn a national median of $58,290/year vs Operations Managers at $107,580/year. Operations Managers earn 85% more nationally. The gap is $49,290 per year — or $4,108 per month.
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Firefighter
$58,290
national median/year
$4,858/mo • $28/hr
VS
Operations Manager
$107,580
national median/year
$8,965/mo • $52/hr
Annual salary gap
$49,290
Operations Managers earn 85% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $558,717.
Best states for Operations Managers
vs Firefighters
Virginia+$68,260
New York+$64,260
Maryland+$58,260
Massachusetts+$56,260
North Carolina+$56,260
Best states for Firefighters
vs Operations Managers
Alaska+$-24,260
Wyoming+$-28,260
Hawaii+$-30,260
North Dakota+$-30,260
Mississippi+$-32,260
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Operations Managers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Firefighters is $58,290 versus $107,580 for Operations Managers — a difference of $49,290 per year or $4,108 per month.
The national median salary gap between Firefighters and Operations Managers is $49,290 per year. Operations Managers earn 85% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $558,717.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Firefighters the highest median salary at $88,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Operations Managers the highest median salary at $138,580 per year.
Salary is one factor — Operations Managers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Firefighters and General and Operations Managers both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Firefighters earn approximately $28 per hour nationally and Operations Managers earn approximately $52 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
