National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Firefighters at $58,290/year. Lawyers earn 60% more nationally. The gap is $87,470 per year — or $7,289 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Firefighter
$58,290
national median/year
$4,858/mo • $28/hr
Annual salary gap
$87,470
Lawyers earn 60% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $991,498.
Best states for Firefighters
vs Lawyers
Alaska+$-46,000
Hawaii+$-46,000
Wyoming+$-46,000
South Dakota+$-48,000
West Virginia+$-48,000
Best states for Lawyers
vs Firefighters
New York+$116,000
Massachusetts+$94,000
Texas+$94,000
Virginia+$94,000
California+$90,000
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Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $58,290 for Firefighters — a difference of $87,470 per year or $7,289 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Firefighters is $87,470 per year. Lawyers earn 60% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $991,498.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Lawyers the highest median salary at $188,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Firefighters the highest median salary at $88,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Lawyers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Lawyers and Firefighters 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, Lawyers earn approximately $70 per hour nationally and Firefighters earn approximately $28 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.
