New Hampshire Firefighter Salary (2026) – City Breakdown, Overtime & Real Take-Home
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New Hampshire firefighter base pay ranks near the bottom nationally by some measures, but no state income tax and no sales tax meaningfully close that gap on real take-home pay. This guide breaks down what New Hampshire firefighters actually earn in Manchester, Nashua, and Concord — from entry-level pay to top-step with overtime — and what shapes real take-home pay in the Granite State.
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New Hampshire Firefighter Salary — Quick Numbers (2026)
Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median firefighter wage at $59,530 (May 2024, the most recent OEWS data published). New Hampshire runs close to but slightly below that on a base-pay basis: ZipRecruiter's March 2026 statewide data puts the average firefighter salary at $56,981, and notably ranks New Hampshire 50th out of 50 states for firefighter pay by their measure — a surprising position for a state this close to the high-paying Boston metro. Southern New Hampshire cities like Manchester and Nashua run meaningfully above that state figure thanks to Massachusetts border wage pressure.
| Level | Annual Base Pay |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (academy / probation) | $46,000–$59,000 |
| Mid-career (5–10 years) | $60,000–$76,000 |
| Top-step Firefighter | $72,000–$90,000 |
| With overtime (realistic, southern NH) | $85,000–$112,000 |
| Engineer / Driver-Operator | $78,000–$96,000 |
| Captain | $92,000–$118,000 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 national estimates, ZipRecruiter statewide and Manchester-specific data (2026), Salary.com Fire Fighter II benchmark data for Manchester and Nashua (2026). Numbers reflect base pay; total compensation with overtime runs higher, especially in southern NH departments near the Massachusetts border.
City-by-City Breakdown
| Department | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester Fire Department | $59,352 average (ZipRecruiter, 2026) → $64,000–$85,000+ Fire Fighter II / senior roles | Largest city in New Hampshire and the state's primary career department. Salary.com's Fire Fighter II benchmark puts the local average at $64,174, with the typical range running $52,108–$77,137. Manchester-Boston Regional Airport proximity makes aviation/ARFF training a valuable specialty. |
| Nashua Fire Rescue | $54,000–$67,236 (Fire Fighter II average, Salary.com 2025) → $81,000+ top step | Directly on the Massachusetts border; benefits the most from Boston-metro wage pressure of any NH department. Consistently among the highest firefighter pay in the state relative to department size. |
| Concord Fire Department | ~$61,667 regional average (Salary.com 2025) → $80,000+ top step | State capital; smaller department than Manchester or Nashua, with stable, less turnover-driven employment. Confirm current step pay directly with the department, as a fully public current pay table wasn't available at time of writing. |
City figures combine ZipRecruiter and Salary.com 2026 job-market data where a fully public current step table wasn't available. Pay tables change between budget cycles and union contract negotiations — always confirm exact numbers on the department's own civil-service page before comparing offers.
Overtime and Premium Pay
Manchester and Nashua both see consistent overtime tied to urban call volume, and their proximity to the Massachusetts border creates real wage and staffing competition — some New Hampshire firefighters and applicants weigh offers against nearby Massachusetts departments, which pushes southern NH pay upward relative to the rest of the state. Concord and departments further from the Massachusetts line generally see more moderate overtime. Most New Hampshire departments run a 24/48 or similar shift schedule that creates baseline overtime opportunities beyond call-volume-driven OT.
Use the Salary Comparison Tool to model different overtime assumptions before comparing departments — treat any overtime figure as a range, not a guarantee.
Retirement and Pension
New Hampshire career firefighters participate in the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS) as Group II (public safety) members, a defined-benefit plan. Employee contribution rates run around 11.55% of gross pay — among the higher public-safety pension contribution rates nationally, and worth weighing against the state's below-national-average base pay when evaluating a job offer. Confirm the current contribution rate and benefit multiplier with your specific department's HR office, since NHRS terms can shift with state-level rate-setting.
Cost of Living — What Your Salary Actually Buys
New Hampshire has no state income tax and no general sales tax — a genuinely strong, consistent take-home advantage regardless of which department you join. The trade-off is housing: southern New Hampshire (Nashua, Manchester, and the towns closest to the Massachusetts border) sees elevated housing costs driven by Boston-commuter demand, which is also why pay runs highest in exactly these cities. Concord and the rest of central and northern New Hampshire are considerably more affordable, though career department opportunities are far more limited outside the state's three largest cities.
How to Compare Two New Hampshire Departments
- Match the same rank and step (entry vs. 5-year vs. top step) — comparing an entry rate at one department to a top-step rate at another isn't a fair comparison.
- Confirm the schedule type and how overtime is calculated under the current contract.
- Get the actual NHRS Group II contribution rate in effect — at roughly 11.55%, it's a meaningful deduction to factor into any offer comparison.
- Ask for healthcare premium costs for your specific coverage tier.
- Subtract deductions, then compare realistic take-home against housing costs in that specific city — Nashua and Manchester are not comparable to Concord or points further north.
- Add conservative overtime assumptions — use low-end estimates, not maximum-scenario numbers, when deciding between offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average firefighter salary in New Hampshire?
ZipRecruiter's 2026 statewide data puts the average firefighter salary in New Hampshire at $56,981, slightly below the national BLS median of $59,530 (May 2024). Career firefighters typically earn $60,000–$76,000 in base pay depending on rank, step, and department, and Manchester and Nashua — both benefiting from Massachusetts border wage pressure — run meaningfully above the state average. With realistic overtime, total compensation ranges from $85,000–$112,000.
Do New Hampshire firefighters get a pension?
Yes. New Hampshire career firefighters participate in the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS) as Group II public safety members, a defined-benefit plan with employee contributions around 11.55% of gross pay — one of the higher public-safety contribution rates nationally.
Is New Hampshire a good state for a firefighter career?
New Hampshire's base pay runs slightly below the national average, but no state income tax and no sales tax make the state more competitive than the raw salary figures suggest. Southern New Hampshire — Manchester and especially Nashua — benefits meaningfully from proximity to the Boston job market, and these two departments offer the state's best combination of pay and career opportunity. The NHRS pension contribution rate is on the higher side, which is worth factoring into any long-term career decision.
Interested in working as a firefighter in New Hampshire? See our firefighter career guide for 2026 — requirements, CPAT, written exam, and academy explained step by step.
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