Santa Fe New Mexico Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

As the name suggests, Firefighters are those who actually save people or other things from fire by fighting it. They’re chosen among the finest to risk their lives in rescue actions. Often loved by girls, these pros are not frightened of anything as well as literally lay down their lives daily like policemen. Right after hearing so much of praise about these brave people, you should have developed a slight desire to become one yourself.

firefighter career summary Santa Fe New Mexico
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Table Of Contents

How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Santa Fe?

If you love your work, sometimes you feel like you’re not working anymore. Nonetheless, this passion is not enough to supply your finances such as basic needs and lifestyle. We all need money so we can move, after all money is crucial. That is why when you go with a profession to pursue, it is unquestionable that you think also how much money you could gain from it. For a few, it is the only motivation in the morning to get up and go to work. People in the community service sector do not get paid as much. On the other hand, they do have a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. {Let us see how much a firefighter earns.|Without more ado, let’s find out the earnings of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Santa Fe New Mexico
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

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Around $49,000 is the mean annual income a firefighter would make. A median of about $46,000 is the median. The figures may vary depending on the what state he is in or his education degree or his expertise and experience. Below is a listing of these aspects and how they can increase or decrease your salary as being a firefighter.

Location Matters

The location of the fire department is a major factor in determining someone’s salary. Factored to that are the need of the population of fighters. A place just where fire occurs often probably will get higher income in comparison to less occurrence of fire areas. New York has the greatest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. However, Columbia pays the cheapest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Santa Fe New Mexico
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

Education Qualification

To be a firefighter, one usually just needs to have studied a course relevant to fire science in high school. On the other hand, education is highly valued in this area. Here’s 2 reasons why. This shows you have the needed understanding and knowledge in firefighting. Another one is for the department to invest less on you before becoming an asset in the government. Resulting to paying you more. In case you have a degree, whether it’s a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree, that will help you acquire added advantage. How much more when you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Length of Work Experience

Experience is mostly a major key in determining someone’s income. As being a firefighter, your income can rise around 50% with experience in the area of 2 decades. This is extremely high when compared to other jobs which usually see a 15-20% rise in the same length of time.

Accreditations

As being a fireman, you will have to know the basics of EMT to even apply for the job. On the other hand, you may choose to pursue the medical field a bit further and become a paramedic or get advanced EMT training. Having these credentials gives you a better chance of gaining more. Besides, this also provides you another choice should you opt shift careers later.

Industry

At the end of the day, your employer signs your paycheck. Per BLS records, it’s not the government employers who pay out firefighters more, but it’s the private contractors. Included are companies dealing with production in oil, production of metal products and also waste management. Nonetheless, the local and the state government still employ the most number of firefighters.

Other Advantages

If you are a government worker, an advantage you obtain is the benefits you can claim. You get the services like insurance plan in your health or dental check up. You may also avail sick leave benefits. But nonetheless, advantages may vary from what department you’re into.

As you could see, the monetary scope of a fireman isn’t as nice as that of a doctor. On the other hand, by the end of the day, you become a hero in someone’s eyes. Consequently, if you wish to be that hero, find out the prerequisites to be a firefighter now!

Santa Fe Firefighter Career Outlook

firefighter job outlook Santa Fe New Mexico
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

The job outlook is a crucial factor while deciding which career to get into. You would not wish to select your favorite career option just to realize that it going down the drain in a few years. You can find out such information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is always on the rise since because of the ever-growing population. Therefore, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let’s discover.

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There are currently about 300,000 firemen appointed in america. There’s a steady growth of 5% for the next couple of years till 2024. This is the average growth rate of any normal profession. This means that there will be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. However, this also means that there would be that much more people trying to get the job too. As a result, there would be some competition. This is primarily due to the low education specifications and also the attractions of a public service job. The pay may not be quite high, but the benefits make up for that. It’s approximated that there might be about 100 individuals competing for the same position by 2024.

firefighter job outlook by state Santa Fe New Mexico
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

How To Become A Firefighter

Much like any other expert career to follow, a process is essential to follow. Primary requirement is you should have the necessary education. You should have your diploma or you’ll never get employed. Being a firefighter, there are not too many education prerequisites that you need to have. Alongside, education you need to pass other assessments like physical, medical and legal test. We will go further in details to much better understand the requirements.

Education Requirements

High school diploma along with a degree in higher education are the fundamental prerequisites to be qualified being a firefighter. Subjects you earned don’t matter much. Nonetheless, possessing some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. It will also educate you on how to be a better firefighter.

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A lot of those who planned to be a firefighter, they choose to pursue a degree in college right after earning their diploma in high school. The minimum age requirement is EIGHTEEN years. That is one good reason why many of the aspirants are not be eligible right after graduating in high school. If you want to have options later if you opt to be a firefighter, better choose a degree with subjects in firefighting, you may need them. Courses which show you how to save people, control hydraulic devices like ladders or some other related things are a major plus.

It is optionally available, you may pursue a graduate studies in that same field. The former ones are needed to get promoted to better positions. Simultaneously, keep in mind that the maximum age qualification is kept at 28-30 years old. As a result, if you wish to spend most of your life as a firefighter, you should never concentrate too much on education.

Paramedic Training

Every single firefighter is required to present an EMT certification. It could be either of these 2, EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they really know what to do in the event of fires or in accidents. The training may last for up to one year. Should you chose to be a paramedic at later time, you should earn education in the area of Emergency Medical Services. The advantages of entering this direction are possible upsurge in salary or added edge over other applicants. In some cases, fire victims rescued are attended by medical specialist that are firefighters also.

New Mexico State Driving License

Many states require the candidates to be able to drive. Therefore, they want their applicants to be a licensed driver which might help them in case that person is required to drive the firetruck to the area. The driver’s license also verify other information needed in application like for instance the age.

Free of Legal Record

In most cases, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. Just like policemen, firefighters also undertake lifestyle check just before getting hired. It absolutely required that an aspiring firefighters should have a clean record, no criminal record. If you think you possess previous records, then better to not pursue this career as you will immediately be disqualified. People who were pardoned for their crimes are usually accepted, on the other hand, not all fire departments admit such people.

Physical Fitness

One of the main features that a firefighter should have is physical strength. They must have the high upper body strength in order to lift objects and people to help them in rescue situations. They’re also supposed to possess the high endurance to deal with the excessive running around they need to do. Nobody become a firefighter without going through heavy and extremely comprehensive physical tests.

Santa Fe Medical Prerequisites

Firefighters should deal with a lot of suffocating scenarios. They’re usually supplied with masks to help them deal with such scenarios but not always are they so fortunate. If you have history in your respiratory, that would affect your efficiency. Therefore, candidates are checked accurately for any such conditions which may cause them harm in such cases.

If you fill up the forms, lots of boxes have to be marked. If you really feel you tick these boxes, then go and find out how long it takes to be a firefighter!

What Does a Santa Fe Firefighter Do?

Firefighters are your daily heroes who work together to set out fires and help people when they get stuck in such scenarios. They are around in rescue quests you see in common incidents, not just fire. Just like what you see in films, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Aside from this, they’re also in charge of teaching individuals to prevent further fires. They also do the investigation as to the reasons of fire, its origin or cause.

Putting Out Fires

This is the primary role of firefighters. When on-duty, these people stay in their firehouse to take action to a call as soon as possible. When they do get a phone call, they rush to the location in one of their firetrucks which might contain hoses or ladders. There are also fire trucks which are used for carrying wounded fire victims.

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At the scene of the fire, every person has a distinct task. Some individuals are in charge of handling the ladder and rescue operations. Another firefighter is solely for extinguishing the fire, while other carry out the rescue of fire victims. These people work under the command of their respected commanding officers. They work in shifts, because of that, each shifting unit has its corresponding officers.

Saving People

A certification in EMT is required to all firefighters. Since the primary job of the rescuer would be to rescue lives, it is essential that a firefighter possesses this EMT. A firefighter might need this technical know-how if a victim is trapped in fires. Nevertheless, not all rescue procedures that the firefighters undertake are fire related. Firemen or perhaps firewomen are the first on the field with a few police officers wherever there are any casualties. Casualties possibly caused natural phenomena or road crashes. The firefighters are supposed to work together and save the victims from further harm. Sometimes a firefighter is also a qualified paramedic assisting them provide better healthcare to the victims.

Teach People

Firefighters are normally educated in fire sciences. The amount of knowledge will depend on which degree they have pursued in the field or which course they have studied. As a result, they help a lot of the people by educating them about ways to avoid fires. Firefighters commonly do it right after visiting an extinguished fire scene. Otherwise, they also go to schools and other places to positively educate individuals about fires, how to prevent fires and if necessary, how to extinguish them.

Investigating Fires

To teach people about how to prevent fires, the firemen/firewomen have to first find the source of the fire. They have to distinguish what caused it so they can prevent further such cases. Sometimes, it’s possible that criminals with vicious intent set such fires. It is then the job of the firefighters to check out and provide more clues to the police officers about who started it. Firefighters specializing in investigations related to fire are called arson investigators. They work with the police to catch arsonists.

As you can see, there is a broad number of reasons to contact these people our everyday heroes. They do save lives by extinguishing fires and they develop also our admiration to them. So, if you think you want to be like them, begin filling up the list!