Iowa Firefighter Salary (2026) – Des Moines, Cedar Rapids & City Pay

Iowa firefighter pay is less about a statewide average and more about how each city structures a 24-hour fire schedule. Des Moines publishes a civil-service range, Davenport publishes both a range and a current effective annual rate, Urbandale separates Firefighter from Firefighter/Paramedic, and Ames uses a step schedule tied to a 24-hour shift environment.

Those differences are kept intact here. The goal is not to create one tidy Iowa salary number. It is to show what an applicant would actually see in a current city posting or labor schedule.

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Iowa Firefighter Wages: The Statewide Median Is $55,810

The latest BLS-based 2025 wage data show an Iowa firefighter median of $55,810 per year. The statewide low-end 10th percentile is $32,240 and the 90th percentile is $87,720.

That figure is useful for understanding the Iowa labor market, but it does not describe what the largest municipal departments are currently offering. Des Moines' 2026 entry recruitment begins well above the statewide median, as do several metro-area firefighter/paramedic classifications.

Employment is also concentrated geographically. Federal 2025 workforce data show the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro as Iowa's largest firefighter employment market, followed by the Omaha-Council Bluffs and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metros.

Iowa Firefighter Salary by City — Current Public Figures

A firefighter/paramedic range is not the same thing as a basic firefighter entry salary. Iowa departments often build EMS credentials into the classification itself.

Des Moines Firefighter Salary in 2026

Des Moines ran a full 2026 Fire Fighter entrance process from January through April. The posted salary range was $79,152.32 to $98,168.72 annually.

The City's current firefighter class specification now displays essentially the same range, at roughly $79,206 to $98,218, reflecting the City's updated pay tables. For consistency with the actual 2026 applicant process, this page uses the recruitment range above.

Des Moines also publishes separate promotional classifications. A 2026 Fire Medic promotional posting lists $86,694.40–$107,099.20, while Fire Lieutenant runs $89,597.56–$110,515.60 and Fire Captain $97,802–$119,454.

Cedar Rapids Firefighter Salary: A Fresh September 2026 Hiring Number

Cedar Rapids is especially useful because the department is actively recruiting as of this September 8 update. The posting opened August 26 and closes September 18, 2026.

The published salary is $24.97 per hour, or $68,817.32 annually.

The job is FLSA non-exempt and part of the fire bargaining unit. That means the annual figure should be treated as the City's published firefighter salary, while additional overtime depends on the work cycle and actual hours rather than a statewide assumption.

Davenport Firefighter Salary in 2026

Davenport's May-June 2026 firefighter recruitment lists a broad class range of $64,858.37 to $92,797.98 annually.

The same posting makes the current applicant figure more specific: annual pay is $67,130 effective July 1, 2026.

That distinction matters. The top of a class range can represent later step progression, while the recruitment packet gives the amount an applicant can use when evaluating the current hiring cycle.

Ames Firefighter Salary in 2026

Ames' February-March 2026 Firefighter recruitment and its class specification revised April 3, 2026 list $60,744.32 to $87,389.12 annually.

The class description makes clear that Ames firefighters provide EMT-level services in addition to fire suppression and rescue. It also describes a 24-hour shift environment, which is why a simple comparison with a standard 40-hour hourly job can be misleading.

Urbandale Firefighter vs. Firefighter/Paramedic Pay

Urbandale's signed 2024-2027 agreement contains a detailed wage schedule effective July 1, 2026. It is one of the best Iowa sources for showing how EMS certification changes pay.

The agreement says the July 2026 schedule includes a 4% across-the-board increase. This is a real contractual effective-date increase, not an estimate applied by this article.

The gap between Firefighter entry pay and Firefighter/Paramedic entry pay is more than $12,000, which is a much stronger answer to “Does paramedic certification pay more in Iowa?” than a generic statewide premium guess.

Dubuque Firefighter/Paramedic Salary

Dubuque's Firefighter Paramedic recruitment is continuous in 2026 and lists $70,441.28 to $86,748.48 annually.

The City allows candidates with EMT certification to enter the process, but those hires must obtain Iowa-recognized paramedic certification within two years of hire as a condition of continued employment.

That makes Dubuque different from a department where paramedic certification is optional incentive pay. Here, it becomes part of the career requirement.

Why Iowa Firefighter Hourly Rates Can Be Misleading

Fire departments commonly use 24-hour tours and work cycles that do not resemble a conventional 40-hour week. Iowa City, for example, publicly describes a 24-hour schedule averaging 56 hours per week and about ten workdays per month. Other Iowa cities also use long fire-service schedules.

For that reason, annual salary is usually the safer comparison. If one department publishes $24.97/hour and another publishes $79,152/year, do not annualize the hourly rate with 2,080 hours unless the employer explicitly says that is the applicable work year.

Davenport's posting is a good example of why: the job board shows both hourly and annual ranges, but the recruitment packet separately states the current annual pay effective July 1, 2026.

Iowa Firefighter Overtime: What the Public Data Actually Support

The old article said Des Moines had “the most consistent OT” and that tornado or flood seasons could create predictable income spikes. Those statements are not reliable salary guidance and have been removed.

Firefighter overtime can come from vacancies, callbacks, holdovers, FLSA work-cycle rules, training coverage and major incidents. But an emergency season is not a guaranteed annual earnings stream.

Current Iowa postings do confirm that major city firefighter classifications are generally FLSA non-exempt. That tells us overtime rules matter; it does not tell us every firefighter receives the same dollar amount.

When comparing departments, ask whether:

1. scheduled FLSA hours are already reflected in annual pay;
2. callback has a minimum-hour guarantee;
3. paramedic or specialty pay changes the overtime rate;
4. holiday compensation is cash, time off or built into the schedule;
5. overtime is included in pensionable earnable compensation.

MFPRSI in 2026: The Employee Rate Is 9.675%

Full-time firefighters employed by participating Chapter 411 cities can be covered by the Municipal Fire & Police Retirement System of Iowa (MFPRSI). MFPRSI says 49 participating cities are in the system.

The current member contribution is 9.675% of earnable compensation. That rate increased from 9.55% in July 2025 after Iowa expanded firefighter cancer coverage.

For the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the participating-city employer rate is 21.859%. That employer contribution is not an additional 21.859% deduction from the firefighter's check.

MFPRSI's basic service-retirement formula is also unusually easy to verify. At 22 years of service, the multiplier is 66% of average final compensation. Each additional year through 30 years adds 2 percentage points, reaching 82% at 30 or more years. Full service retirement generally requires age 55 with at least 22 years of service.

That is a plan formula, not a promise that every firefighter should retire on the same date. Individual eligibility, final compensation and service credits still matter.

Iowa Income Tax and Firefighter Take-Home Pay

Iowa uses a flat 3.8% individual income tax rate for tax year 2026.

That is only one component of take-home pay. A career firefighter may also have MFPRSI contributions, federal withholding, Medicare treatment, health insurance, union dues, deferred compensation and other deductions.

So a $79,000 Des Moines salary and a $68,817 Cedar Rapids salary should not be converted into “real take-home” by simply subtracting 3.8%. The retirement deduction alone is larger than the Iowa state income-tax rate for an MFPRSI-covered employee.

How to Compare Iowa Fire Departments

1. Start with the active recruitment salary, not a statewide average.
2. Check whether the range is entry-to-top-step or a single applicant rate.
3. Separate Firefighter from Firefighter/Paramedic classifications.
4. Use the employer's annualized salary when fire schedules differ.
5. Confirm MFPRSI coverage and the 9.675% member contribution.
6. Keep overtime outside base pay unless the employer says it is built in.
7. Apply Iowa's 3.8% state tax plus your actual federal and benefit deductions.
8. Then compare housing and commute costs in the city where you would actually work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average firefighter salary in Iowa?

The latest BLS-based 2025 data show an Iowa firefighter median of $55,810. Current big-city recruitment salaries can be substantially higher.

How much does a Des Moines firefighter make in 2026?

Des Moines' 2026 entrance recruitment lists $79,152.32–$98,168.72 annually.

How much does a Cedar Rapids firefighter make?

The current Cedar Rapids recruitment lists $68,817.32 annually.

How much does a Davenport firefighter make?

Davenport's 2026 recruitment packet states $67,130 annually effective July 1, 2026, within a broader published class range.

How much does an Urbandale firefighter paramedic make?

The July 2026 wage schedule lists Firefighter/Paramedic from $74,928.93 at entry to $102,545.42 at Step 8.

How much do Iowa firefighters contribute to MFPRSI?

The current member contribution is 9.675% of earnable compensation. The city rate is 21.859% from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

What is Iowa's income tax rate in 2026?

Iowa's individual income tax rate is a flat 3.8% for tax year 2026.

Sources and Data Notes

• CareerOneStop / BLS 2025 Iowa firefighter wage data.
• Des Moines Fire Fighter — 2026 recruitment.
• Des Moines Fire Medic — 2026 promotional posting.
• Cedar Rapids Firefighter — August/September 2026.
• Davenport Firefighter — 2026.
• Ames Firefighter — 2026 recruitment.
• Urbandale Fire Agreement — July 1, 2026 wage schedule.
• Dubuque Firefighter Paramedic — continuous 2026 recruitment.
• MFPRSI contribution rates — July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
• MFPRSI retirement formula.
• Iowa Department of Revenue — 2026 income tax rate.

Editorial note: Iowa departments publish compensation in different forms — civil-service ranges, single hiring rates and contract step tables. This page preserves those differences rather than forcing every city into the same statewide template. Figures were checked against public sources available September 8, 2026.

Preparing for an Iowa fire-service hiring process? Our firefighter career guide covers testing, physical ability, EMS credentials and academy basics.