Buffalo firefighter salary, 2025
Buffalo's firefighters work for the city's Fire Department, most of them in its engine and ladder companies. Firefighters listed as injured on duty for more than 90 days aren't counted.1 480 people worked as firefighters for Buffalo in fiscal year 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $89,461, overtime included.
What is the average firefighter salary at Buffalo?
Based on the 352 of 480 firefighters who worked the full year.
- Median total pay
- $84,532
- the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $10,563
- average per full-year firefighter
- Highest-paid title
- $89,461
- Firefighter, average total pay
- New York average
- $149,286
- average total pay at all 2 employers
What does each firefighter title at Buffalo pay?
Each row is one title, from trainee to supervisor. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1 This employer's pay file has no official pay ranges, so none are shown.
- Firefighter$89,461
average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Fire lieutenant, captain and battalion chief pay at Buffalo
Ranks above firefighter, kept out of the firefighter figures on this page. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1
| Rank | People | Average total pay |
|---|---|---|
| Firefighters | 480 | $89,461 |
| Lieutenants | 119 | $147,799 |
| Captains | 40 | $159,195 |
| Battalion Chiefs | 25 | $180,332 |
Full-year captains averaged $159,195, $69,734 more than firefighters.
Does Buffalo pay firefighters more than other New York employers?
Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Buffalo next to every New York employer together.1
- Buffalo$89,461
- All employers in New York$149,286
Full-year firefighters at Buffalo earned $59,825 less than the New York average.
Questions about firefighter pay at Buffalo
What is the average firefighter salary at Buffalo?
Firefighters at Buffalo who worked the full year earned an average of $89,461 in fiscal year 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $84,532: half earned more, half less.
How much overtime do firefighters at Buffalo earn?
Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $10,563 in overtime in fiscal year 2025. The middle one was paid $6,263: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
How much does a fire captain make at Buffalo?
Full-year captains at Buffalo averaged $159,195 in total pay in fiscal year 2025, overtime included.
More public salaries at Buffalo
Sources for the Buffalo figures
Every person who held a firefighter position at Buffalo at any point in fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025) counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only full-time staff who started before July 2024, were paid their salary on at least 90% of the year's paydays, and were still paid at the end of June 2025. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- City of Buffalo, Open Payroll: every pay line of every city employee, with title, start date and kind of pay, fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025), added up per person.