Wilmington North Carolina Firefighter Salary And Job Requirements

As the name suggests, Firefighters are those who literally save people or other things from fire through fighting it. They’re strong people who can perform rescue operations with style and panache. Much like any other macho image profession, like policemen, who offer jeopardizing their lives to save another. You see the accolades these experts get, would you not like to become like these bold firefighters?

firefighter career summary Wilmington North Carolina
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Table Of Contents

Just How Much Does A Firefighter Make In Wilmington?

People say that work doesn’t seem like work anymore if you love what you are doing. Nevertheless, passion is not enough to sustain a lifestyle. Everyone requires a financial backing to make them live life the way they think fit. As a result, with regards to selecting a career, individuals are always curious about how much they might receive out of it. For some, it is the only motivation in the morning to get up and go to work. People in the community service sector don’t get paid as much. On the other hand, they do have a sense of achievement at the end of the day. {Let us find out how much a firefighter earns.|Without further ado, let us figure out the earnings of a firefighter.

firefighter salary Wilmington North Carolina
*Image Credit – BLS.gov

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The mean yearly income of a firefighter is around $49,000 with the median around $46,000. The figures may vary based on the what state he is in or his education qualification or his abilities and experience. Below is a listing of these aspects and how they can increase or decrease your salary being a firefighter.

Location Matters

The precise location of the fire department is a main aspect in determining someone’s wage. This is due to a few factors like – population size, availability of firemen as well as frequency of fighters. A place where fire occurs frequently is likely to possess higher income in comparison to less event of fire places. New York has the highest rate among firefighters with 70% above the national mean. On the other hand, Columbia pays the lowest at 38% below the national average.

firefighter average salary by state Wilmington North Carolina
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Education Level

To be a firefighter, one usually just needs to have studied a course related to fire science in high school. In this field of firefighting, having achieved an education is advantageous. There are two main reasons for this. One is the reason is proof of your knowledge in the field. The second is that the government will need to invest substantially less on you to develop you as being an asset. Bringing on paying you more. A bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree in fire science can help you advance your career as well as earn a lot more. How much more if you have a graduate credentials in firefighting.

Length of Work Experience

Work experience is certainly the determining aspect of how much an employee must earn. In case a firefighter has a field experience of around 2 decades, his income may rise to 50% This is quite high when compared to other careers which usually see a 15-20% rise in the same period of time.

Certifications

As being a fireman, you will need to know the fundamentals of EMT to even apply for the job. However, aside from learning the fundamental, you can go more and learn the advanced accreditations. Possessing a deeper list of certifications and trainings give you a chance of acquiring a greater wage. Besides, this also gives you another option should you opt shift careers later.

Industry

When all’s said and finished, you should receive your paycheck. Per BLS records, it is not the government employers who pay out firefighters more, however it’s the private contractors. This includes firms that deal with waste management, coal as well as oil production, and also metal product production. Regardless, the local and state government are still looking for firefighting people.

Other Benefits

In case you are a government personnel, an advantage you receive is the benefits you could claim. You get the services like insurance in your health or even dental check-up. You may also acquire sick leave benefits. The exact benefits differ from department to department.

As being a physician may have a better earning in comparison with being a fireman. However a fireman has got the accolades of an instant savior. So, if you want to be that hero, find out the requirements to be a firefighter now!

Wilmington Firefighter Employment Outlook

firefighter job outlook Wilmington North Carolina
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The job outlook is an essential factor while choosing which career to get into. You wouldn’t want to pick your favorite career option simply to realize that it going down the drain in a few years. You can find out such info from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career outlook for public servants is definitely on the rise since due to the growing population. Consequently, what does the future hold for the common fireman? Let us find out.

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There are currently about 300,000 firemen employed in the USA. There is a steady development of 5% for the next couple of years till 2024. This is the average growth rate of any normal profession. Which means that there would be about 12,000 new jobs by 2024. Nevertheless, this also means that there would be that much more people hoping to get the job as well. Hence, there would be some competition. This is primarily due to the low education requirements and the attractions of a public service job. The pay might not be quite high, however the advantages make up for that. It’s estimated that there may be about 100 individuals competing for the same position by 2024.

firefighter job outlook by state Wilmington North Carolina
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Steps To Becoming a Firefighter

You have to follow a specific procedure to join any career. The most crucial part of these processes would be to accomplish the education specifications. You should have your diploma or you will never get employed. Though education is the primary requirement, you must not be worried mainly because employer only need at least 1 degree completed. However, there are a lot of other requirements like physical, medical and legal that you needs to have to qualify for being a firefighter. We’ll go further in details to much better understand the prerequisites.

Education Requirements

High school diploma along with a degree in advanced schooling are the fundamental requirements to be qualified as being a firefighter. The subjects really do not matter as such. But, having some courses in fire sciences does help your cause. It will also teach you how to be a better firefighter.

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Many of those who intended to become a firefighter, they decide to pursue a degree in college after earning their diploma in high school. The minimum age requirement is EIGHTEEN years. That’s one good reason why many of the aspirants aren’t be eligible right after graduating in high school. College degrees in fire sciences are a huge plus if you are planning to be a part of the field. Courses that show you how to save individuals, handle hydraulic devices such as ladders or other related stuff are a major plus.

It’s optional, you may pursue a graduate studies in that same field. The graduate studies you attain can help you land a promotion. While gaining your education, you always keep in mind that age limit qualification of 28 to 30 years old limit for you to be qualified as well. That is why you should not over concentrate on acquiring too much education so as to be eligible.

Paramedic Training

All the firefighters must have this EMT certification. It can be either of these 2, EMT-B or the EMT-Basic. This certifies firefighters that they really know what to do in case there is fires or in accidents. 12 months is needed to be able to finish this training. Should you chose to become a paramedic at later time, you must acquire education in the field of Emergency Medical Services. This helps them get an edge over other applicants and hopefully, a higher income. In some cases, fire victims rescued are attended by medical expert which are firefighters also.

North Carolina State Driving License

In most states, employing of firefighter needs an applicant to have experience in driving. A drivers license to each candidate is needed so they could be useful in case of urgent situation where for an instance no other fire truck driver is out there. It also serves as an ID proof to validate the applicant’s age.

Legal Record

In most scenarios, a firefighter is compared as a policeman. Similar to policemen, firefighters also undertake life-style check just before getting hired. It completely needed that an aspiring firefighters should have a clean record, no criminal record. If you think you have previous records, then much better not to pursue this career as you will right away be disqualified. People who were pardoned for their crimes are usually accepted, however, not all fire departments admit such people.

Physical Fitness

Among the main features that a firefighter needs to have is physical strength. They need to have the high upper body strength to be able to lift objects and people to help them in rescue cases. Not only body strength is need to have, firefighter’s endurance must be high as they should deal lots of factors like running even in harsh surroundings. All firefighters experience rigorous physical exams both in the academy and before it.

Wilmington Medical Prerequisites

Firefighters should cope with a lot of suffocating scenarios. Firefighters have masks to conquer those scenarios but even so, if have respiratory condition, this may hinder your chances. Individuals having respiratory problems could not handle such heavy machinery with precision under suffocating conditions. That is why it’s essential that an applicant must be clear from any of that respiratory ailments.

There a lot of boxes that must be ticked while picking out a firefighter. If you really feel you tick these boxes, then go and see how long it will take you to be a firefighter!

Wilmington Firefighter Work Description

Firefighters are your everyday heroes who work together to put out fires and help people if they get stuck in such circumstances. They’re also in control of rescue actions for common daily challenges. Just like what you see in movies, a firefighter saving a kitten in a tree. Besides this, they are also in charge of educating people to prevent further fires. They also carry out the investigation as to the reasons of fire, its source or cause.

Putting Out Fires

Obviously, fire extinguishing is their primary job. When on-duty, these people stay in their firehouse to respond to a call as soon as possible. When a distress call is got, firefighters together with their devices rush to the fire location to extinguish it. Several of the fire trucks are simply meant to deliver injured people.

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Firefighting is a team work. Every member already has its designated task. Some people are in charge of controlling the ladder and rescue operations. Others are in control of controlling the water flow and extinguishing the fire. Similar to any other team that has a leader commanding the operation, their group is headed by their commanding officer. Given that they work in shifts, each unit has their own commanding officer.

Rescuing People

All firefighters are required to be qualified as an EMT. This is required since one of the main duties of the firefighters are to rescue people. Much of the time this comes in handy when looking after those who are stuck inside the fires. Not all rescue operations are fire related. There are situations that a fireman comes first in the scene. Casualties possibly caused natural phenomena or road crashes. The firefighters are supposed to work together and save the victims from additional harm. Oftentimes a firefighter is also a knowledgeable paramedic assisting them provide better health care to the victims.

Teaching People

Firefighters are normally educated in fire sciences. The amount of know-how will depend on which degree they have pursued in the field or which course they have studied. By discussing what they know, they help people by educating them how to prevent fire from taking place. Firefighters usually do it after visiting an extinguished fire scene. Otherwise, they also visit schools and also other places to positively educate individuals about fires, how to prevent fires and if needed, how to extinguish them.

Investigating Fires

It’s also very important to be aware of the source of fire. Knowing the causes can assist firefighters prevent fire for the same scenario happen again. Sometimes, it’s possible that criminals with vicious intent set such fires. Working with law enforcement officers, it’s firefighter’s task to figure out what causes the fire or who possibly started it. Firefighters specializing in investigations associated with fire are called arson investigators. Together with the law enforcement, they work to investigate possible arsonists.

As you could see, there’s a broad number of reasons to contact these people our everyday heroes. They do save lives through extinguishing fires and they develop also our admiration to them. Consequently, if learning about their responsibilities fired you up, see what education prerequisites you should become one!