Program Payoff

Fire Protection: what it pays, state by state

50 states teach this at certificate or associate level. The work pays most in District of Columbia, at a median of $175,720 a year.

StateWhat the work paysSchoolsReporting earnings
District of Columbia$175,72010
California$174,5601270
Colorado$171,140160
New York$167,200200
Virginia$166,230140
Washington$164,160190
Connecticut$162,69040
New Jersey$161,510140
Maryland$159,04090
North Carolina$141,160420
Illinois$140,240430
Utah$134,89050
Texas$134,390570
Michigan$134,260210
Pennsylvania$131,600140
Arizona$129,870260
Iowa$128,080100
Alaska$127,95030
North Dakota$126,44010
Missouri$125,760140
Oregon$125,580160
Vermont$125,44010
Georgia$125,000310
West Virginia$124,94020
New Mexico$123,550180
Nebraska$116,43050
Wyoming$113,42050
Nevada$112,04040
Montana$110,47030
Florida$108,890520
Wisconsin$107,050200
Louisiana$103,14060
Tennessee$99,43040
Arkansas$87,52060
Massachusetts$72,800160
Rhode Island$67,38010
Indiana$62,78050
Ohio$59,370370
New Hampshire$56,62020
Hawaii$51,99040
Oklahoma$49,710100
Maine$48,29040
South Dakota$48,16010
Alabama$47,60040
Idaho$47,320100
Kansas$45,900150
South Carolina$42,57030
Minnesota$38,110130
Kentucky$37,150260
Mississippi$35,88020

A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.

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Programs: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10. Occupation wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.