Both career and volunteer firefighters are needed to keep fire departments running without a hitch. But for those who were born for a career in fire, finding a department that depends more heavily on career than volunteer firefighters may be cumbersome.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, only two states in the nation have a higher percentage of “mostly career” fire departments than volunteer. Some states have nearly 100 percent “mostly volunteer” or entirely volunteer departments. If you’re looking to land a career in fire, here are the best and worst places to look.
5 best states for career firefighters
These five states have the highest percentage of career fire departments in the nation:
1. Hawaii
- Number of registered fire departments: 11
- Percentage of career departments: 90.9 percent
2. Florida
- Number of registered fire departments: 477
- Percentage of career departments: 51.8 percent
3. Massachusetts
- Number of registered fire departments: 362
- Percentage of career departments: 43.6 percent
4. Arizona
- Number of registered fire departments: 249
- Percentage of career departments: 42.7 percent
5. California
- Number of registered fire departments: 872
- Percentage of career departments: 41.8 percent
5 worst states for career firefighters
These five states have the lowest percentage of career fire departments in the nation and rely almost entirely on volunteers:
1.Delaware
- Number of registered fire departments: 58
- Percentage of volunteer departments: 98.3 percent
2. Minnesota
- Number of registered fire departments: 726
- Percentage of volunteer departments: 97.2 percent
3. Pennsylvania
- Number of registered fire departments: 1,796
- Percentage of volunteer departments: 97.1 percent
4. North Dakota
- Number of registered fire departments: 325
- Percentage of volunteer departments: 96.9 percent
5. South Dakota
- Number of registered fire departments: 293
- Percentage of volunteer departments: 96.6 percent
For further reading, learn which states are best for making a living as a firefighter, and which cities are becoming too expensive for firefighters to live in.
