Salario de Bombero en New Jersey (2026)
Salario promedio de Bombero en New Jersey
$85,810/año
≈ $41/hora antes de impuestos
Después de impuestos (soltero)
$65,561/año
$5,463/mes · tasa efectiva 23.6%
- Federal $10,048
- Estatal $3,276
- Discapacidad / licencia $360
- FICA $6,564
- Neto
Salario por puesto en New Jersey
- Fire Captain / Lieutenant (New York metro)BLS · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · middle 50%$131,270–$157,510
- Fire Captain / Lieutenant (Atlantic City metro)BLS · Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ · middle 50%$102,860–$138,520
- Engineer / Paramedic / Specialty FFBLS · 75th–90th percentile$106,330–$123,940
- Firefighter (any department)BLS · middle 50%$61,340–$106,330
- Probationary FirefighterBLS · 10th–25th percentile$47,920–$61,340
- Battalion / District ChiefBLS · 75th–90th percentile$160,720–$164,610
Ver el desglose fiscal completo
| Categoría | Cantidad |
|---|---|
Sueldo Neto Anual | $65,561 |
Sueldo Neto Mensual | $5,463 |
Sueldo Neto Quincenal | $2,522 |
Sueldo Neto por Hora basado en 2,080 hrs/año | $32/hr |
Impuesto Federal | $10,048 |
Impuesto Estatal | $3,276 |
Discapacidad Temporal de NJ | $163 |
Seguro de Licencia Familiar de NJ | $197 |
Impuestos FICA | $6,564 |
Tasa Efectiva de Impuesto impuestos totales ÷ salario bruto | 23.6% |
New Jersey firefighting pays among the top-tier in the country. Average firefighter base sits around $80K but Bergen / Morris / Essex County departments and the urban tier (Newark FD, Jersey City FD, Trenton, Paterson, Camden) push senior captains with structural overtime to $120-150K. The structural anchor is PFRS (Police and Firemen's Retirement System) — defined benefit, separate from PERS, with a 25-year service retirement that holds up against any pension in the country. NJ progressive top tax 10.75% kicks in at $1M, but the working-FF 6.37% bracket hits at $75K. Atlantic City casino floor and the Port Authority of NY/NJ create two off-duty detail markets you don't see elsewhere.
No todas las Bomberos ganan lo mismo — ni de cerca
PFRS is the unique structural anchor — separate from PERS, dedicated to police and fire, with 25-year retirement at 65% of Final Compensation (Tier 1) or 60% (Tier 5, post-2011 reforms). Newark Fire Division and Jersey City FD are the urban-core large departments. The Bergen County affluent-suburb tier hosts the highest-pay-tier suburb fire departments in the state. Here's roughly what each tier pays in 2026:
Fire Captain / Lieutenant (New York metro)
$131,270–$157,510
Affluent-suburb tier · highest-pay-tier NJ municipal · top schools
Fire Captain / Lieutenant (Atlantic City metro)
$102,860–$138,520
Casino-floor + boardwalk-season detail rotation $50-80/hr direct
Engineer / Paramedic / Specialty FF
$106,330–$123,940
Dual cert FF + EMT-P premium
Fuente: BLS May 2025 · Firefighters · New Jersey · 75th–90th percentile
Firefighter (any department)
$61,340–$106,330
Base + standard OT · NJ median ~$80K
Fuente: BLS May 2025 · Firefighters · New Jersey · middle 50%
Probationary Firefighter
$47,920–$61,340
NJ Division of Fire Safety academy + station rotation
Fuente: BLS May 2025 · Firefighters · New Jersey · 10th–25th percentile
Battalion / District Chief
$160,720–$164,610
Top NJ municipal FF tier
Firefighter (any department) (New York metro)
$74,880–$106,430
NY/NJ dual-state · airports/tunnels · separate pension
Fuente: BLS May 2025 · Firefighters · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · middle 50%
Vale la pena saber: Most NJ municipal fire departments run an 8-hour rotating shift pattern at smaller departments and 24-hour modified at larger ones with substantial OT stacking. The off-duty detail economy has two unique NJ flavors: Atlantic City casino-floor and boardwalk-season detail (Borgata, Hard Rock, Ocean, Caesars, Tropicana — all rotate uniformed off-duty FFs and paramedics $50-80/hour direct), and Port Authority dual-state work for senior officers. The Bergen / Morris affluent-suburb tier (Englewood Cliffs, Saddle River, Tenafly, Mendham, Chatham) has corporate-event medical/safety demand from NJ-headquartered Fortune 500s (J&J, Merck, Prudential, BMS). $25-45K of legitimate detail income on top of a $90K base is normal for a senior NJ firefighter.
Overtime, OBBBA 2025, and the Atlantic City + corporate detail economy
10.75%
NJ top state tax (kicks in $1M+) · working FFs pay 6.37% on most income
$12.5K
OBBBA 2025 no-tax-on-overtime federal deduction cap (single, $25K MFJ)
No conform
NJ does NOT conform to OBBBA at state level — federal deduction only
Overtime in NJ firefighting is structural at every urban department and most county districts. Mandatory minimum staffing means every sick call, vacation slot, and major-incident pull becomes backfill OT. A typical Bergen County captain at $98K base pulls $125-150K total. Newark Fire captains in heavy years clear $120-145K. Jersey City Fire captains at the Hudson tier clear $115-140K. Atlantic City Fire officers rotating casino-floor detail can effectively double base in heavy seasons.
The 2025 law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) created a brand-new federal deduction on the premium portion of overtime pay. For tax years 2025 through 2028, you can deduct up to $12,500/year (single) or $25,000 () of qualifying OT premium from your federal taxable income.
What 'premium portion' means in plain English: if your hourly is $42, OT pays $63 ($42 × 1.5). Only the extra $21/hour counts toward the deduction — the half, not the whole.
Real numbers for a Bergen County firefighter at $42/hour base, working 60 OT hours a month for 12 months. Premium portion = $42 × 0.5 × 60 × 12 = $15,120. Capped at $12,500 single / $25,000 . Single filer at the 24% federal bracket → about $3,000 back. MFJ at 22% → up to $5,500 back if you hit the cap. NJ does NOT conform to at the state level (the 6.37% bracket bite stays put on the full premium). Even so, the federal stack alone moves the needle on a working NJ firefighter's .
Two catches. First, only — straight-time and shift differentials probably don't qualify (the IRS is still issuing guidance on 207(k) departments specifically; expect clarity by mid-2026). Second, phaseout — the deduction phases out above $150K single / $300K MFJ, fully gone by $275K / $550K. Most NJ FF captains stay well under; battalion chiefs and senior Bergen-tier officers may need to do the math.
Atlantic City casino-floor detail is uniquely NJ. Borgata, Hard Rock, Ocean, Caesars, Tropicana, and Harrah's all hire uniformed off-duty firefighters and paramedics for floor medical standby, high-roller-suite coverage, and event-night detail. Pay is typically $50-80/hour direct, with senior paramedic-FFs at the top end. Boardwalk-season detail (Memorial Day through Labor Day) adds another tier.
Detail income is 1099 — file Schedule C and consider an election once you clear $80K of net SE income (saves $4-6K/year in self-employment tax). The Solo on detail income lets you shelter another $24,500 employee + 25% employer = up to $72,000/year of pre-tax retirement on top of your .
New Jersey as a place to live — the honest take for firefighters
NJ firefighting clusters by county. Bergen / Morris / Essex County (Englewood, Hackensack, Morristown, Newark, the Oranges) is the highest-pay-tier suburb-and-urban world. Hudson County (Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne) is the Manhattan-ferry urban tier. Middlesex / Union County is the working-FF family-suburb tier. Monmouth / Ocean County is the Jersey Shore lifestyle tier with summer-tourism-detail upside. Atlantic / Cape May County is the casino-detail-economy tier.
Most NJ firefighters don't live in the city they serve. Bergen County working FFs settle Paramus / River Edge / Westwood ($550-900K family homes, top schools, 25-min commute to most stations). Senior officers and battalion chiefs often land in the affluent tier — Saddle River, Tenafly, Englewood Cliffs ($900K-2M, top schools). Hudson urban-FF families typically settle North Bergen, Bayonne, or Secaucus to escape the city tax math but stay close. Atlantic City detail FFs settle Egg Harbor Township or Galloway; shore-area FFs settle Brick / Toms River / Manchester.
Side-job culture in NJ is heavy and legitimate. The 24-hour modified pattern at most urban departments gives you real time for a contracting business, summer charter-fishing operation at the Shore, regular Atlantic City detail rotation, NYC stadium-detail work, or steady casino-floor work for senior officers. The Bergen / Morris affluent-suburb tier has corporate-event demand from NJ-headquartered Fortune 500s — Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Prudential, Bristol Myers Squibb. $30-50K of side income on top of a $95K base is normal in NJ firefighting.
The retirement math is genuinely good. PFRS Tier 1 (pre-2007 hires) gets 65% of Final Compensation at 25 years; Tier 5 (post-2011) gets 60% at 25 years with later eligibility. Pension income is fully NJ-taxable but NJ's Retirement Income Exclusion for 62+ residents ($100K / $75K single in 2026) zeroes out state tax up to that threshold. Many senior NJ firefighters stay in-state, but a meaningful share relocate to PA (Bucks / Lehigh — cross-river property-tax savings cover the move), DE (no sales tax + lower property tax), or FL (no income tax + warm).
How New Jersey taxes work for firefighters (and where the levers are)
NJ progressive state tax tops out at 10.75% (kicks in at $1M+ income), but the working-FF effective rate sits at 6.37% on income between $75K and $500K — that's where most captains, engineers, and battalion chiefs land. On a $100K total (Bergen County captain with OT) the state-tax bill is roughly $4,300. On $140K (battalion chief or senior detective-EMT) it's about $6,800. Federal + still apply normally. NJ does NOT conform to the federal overtime deduction at the state level — federal-only relief.
Property tax is the dominant tax line for most NJ homeowner firefighters. NJ has the highest effective property-tax rate in the US (~2.21% statewide average, with Essex / Bergen / Camden / Union counties pushing 2.5-3% in many districts). On a $700K Bergen County family home that's $15,000-18,000/year in property tax alone. This is why Pennsylvania-border counties (Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton) are the standard relocation destination at retirement; the PA flat 3.07% income tax + ~1.5% property tax is materially cheaper.
PFRS pension is the structural retirement story. The Police and Firemen's Retirement System is defined-benefit and separate from PERS — Tier 1 (pre-2007) gets 65% of Final Compensation at 25 years; Tier 5 (post-2011) gets 60% at 25 years with later normal-retirement eligibility. Pension income is fully NJ-taxable but NJ's Retirement Income Exclusion for 62+ residents is generous: $100K / $75K single fully excluded in 2026. Deferred Comp Plan contributions ($24,500/year, 50+ catch-up to $32,500) compound efficiently alongside PFRS — most NJ municipal departments offer one.
- →Max your Deferred Comp Plan. Most NJ municipal departments offer one. $24,500/year limit ($32,500 if 50+, special $35,750 catch-up at ages 60-63). At 24% federal + 6.37% state marginal, every $1,000 deferred saves about $304/year.
- →Use the special catch-up in your final 3 years pre-retirement. Up to $49,000/year (2× annual limit) if you have unused contribution room from prior years. $147K pre-tax window. Almost nobody knows this exists — ask HR.
- →Appeal your property-tax assessment annually. NJ's high effective rate makes assessment-appeal a meaningful lever — a 10% reduction on a $700K Bergen County home saves $1,500-1,800/year. Tax-appeal attorneys typically work on contingency.
- →Pick up overtime — the 2025 federal deduction lets up to $12,500 (single) / $25,000 () of deduct from federal taxable income through 2028, even though NJ doesn't conform.
- → election on detail income above $80K net SE. Atlantic City casino-floor and corporate-event detail income reported on Schedule C above the threshold typically saves $4-6K/year in self-employment tax with an S-corp structure.
- →Solo on side-business net income. At $50K+ Schedule C, shelter $24,500 employee + 25% employer = up to $72,000/year of additional pre-tax retirement on top of your .
- →Track every line-of-duty injury and exposure. PFRS has presumptive-coverage provisions for cardiovascular, lung, and certain cancer claims under NJ legislation — paperwork from year 5 wins the case in year 25.
Three NJ firefighting markets — what each one looks like
Bergen County, urban core (Newark / Jersey City), and Atlantic City are three different NJ fire careers.
Bergen / Morris County (suburb tier + corporate detail)
Base $80-110K + OT · captain total $115-150K · with corporate event detail $140-180KBergen County (Hackensack, Englewood, Paramus, Saddle River) plus Morris County (Morristown, Madison, Chatham) are the highest-pay-tier suburb world in NJ. NYC commute adjacency means the affluent-suburb tier draws senior NJ firefighters and battalion chiefs. Corporate event detail from J&J / Merck / Prudential / BMS adds $30-50K of side income for motivated senior FFs.
Bergen County is the highest-pay-tier of NJ municipal firefighting and the most stable mid-career choice. Property tax (2.5-3% effective) is the meaningful tax-line consideration — assessment-appeal is genuinely worth the effort.
Newark / Jersey City urban core (Hudson + Essex)
Base $75-100K + OT · captain total $105-135K · senior battalion chief $130-160KNewark Fire Division (~600 sworn) covers Newark core. Jersey City FD is the Manhattan-ferry urban tier. NYC stadium and event detail (Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets, Devils) is uniquely accessible for these officers. Most career firefighters settle North Bergen / Bayonne / Secaucus or commute from Bergen suburbs.
Newark and Jersey City urban-FF call volumes run higher than Bergen County. Pay/OT structure compensates, and PFRS pension hold up across all NJ tiers.
Atlantic City + Shore (casino + tourism detail)
Base $68-90K + OT · with casino detail $98-135K · senior with boardwalk $108-140KAtlantic City Fire Department covers the city core. Atlantic County districts cover the metro. The casino-floor medical/safety detail economy (Borgata, Hard Rock, Ocean, Caesars, Tropicana, Harrah's) adds $25-45K of legitimate side income. Boardwalk-season detail (Memorial Day–Labor Day) adds another tier. Most career firefighters settle Egg Harbor Township / Galloway / Northfield ($350-550K).
The casino-detail economy is genuinely large — comparable to Detroit's auto-industry or Houston's energy-corporate detail markets. Pay ceilings are lower than Bergen but cost-of-living closes most of the gap.
The New Jersey firefighter career arc — academy through PFRS retirement
Year 1-2 (probationary, $48-65K): NJ Division of Fire Safety academy certification is required — typically a 12-16 week residential academy at one of the regional academies. FTO + station rotation runs 12-16 weeks. PFRS contributions begin immediately and compound toward 25-year defined benefit.
Year 3-7 ($70-95K + OT): Full operations with OT. Paramedic certification adds meaningful premium. This is when most NJ firefighters add specialty certs (engineer, hazmat, technical rescue) and decide whether to pivot officer-track, paramedic-track, or specialty-team track. Bergen / Morris FFs begin picking up corporate event detail; Atlantic County FFs begin picking up casino-floor detail; Newark / Jersey City FFs begin picking up NYC stadium detail.
Year 8-15 (Captain / Engineer-Captain, $95-135K + OT = $120-160K total): Captain promotion typically needs 6-8 years experience plus officer-track education. This is when senior NJ firefighters establish their detail-economy book — recurring corporate event detail, casino-floor rotation, or NYC stadium / event coverage. Maxing the at this tier is the single most consequential move beyond PFRS.
Year 16-25 (Battalion Chief / Deputy Chief, $130-175K + OT = $160-205K total): Top of active-duty NJ firefighting. PFRS Tier 1 projection at 25-year retirement: 65% of Final Compensation = $85-115K/year for life. Tier 5: 60% = $75-105K. Combined with , detail-business equity, and home equity in a Bergen / Morris / Monmouth suburb, total retirement portfolios in the $1.5-2.8M range are normal at retirement age.
Where New Jersey firefighters actually live
Most NJ firefighters live in the suburb tier of the county they serve. Bergen / Morris FFs settle Paramus / River Edge / Madison / Chatham (top schools, $550-900K). Hudson urban FFs settle North Bergen / Bayonne / Secaucus to escape the urban tax math. Atlantic / Cape May shore FFs settle Egg Harbor Township / Galloway / Northfield (mid-range $350-550K, top schools).
Paramus / River Edge / Westwood (Bergen)
Highest-pay-tier working-FF family · top schools · $550-800K · 20-min Bergen commute
Saddle River / Englewood Cliffs / Tenafly (Bergen)
Senior-FF affluent tier · top schools · $900K-2M · corporate event-detail adjacent
Madison / Chatham / Mendham (Morris)
Senior-officer / battalion-chief tier · top schools · $650-1.1M · 25-min Morristown commute
Cranford / Westfield / Mountainside (Union)
Central-NJ working-FF family tier · top schools · $500-750K
Egg Harbor Twp / Galloway / Northfield (Atlantic)
Casino-detail working-FF tier · $300-500K · top schools · 15-min AC commute
Brick / Toms River / Manchester (Ocean)
Shore-lifestyle / retirement tier · $300-550K · summer-tourism detail upside
NJ retirement-relocation patterns favor PA (Bucks / Lehigh / Northampton — cross-river property-tax savings cover the move), DE (no sales tax + meaningfully lower property tax), or FL (no income tax + warm). NJ's Retirement Income Exclusion for 62+ residents ($100K / $75K single) keeps many career firefighters in-state through retirement. Shore and Pine Barrens lifestyle pockets (Brick, Toms River, Manchester) are common in-state retirement landings.
¿Es la decisión correcta?
New Jersey for firefighters — PFRS pension, casino + corporate detail economy, brutal property tax
A tu favor
- +PFRS pension at 25-year retirement (65% Tier 1 / 60% Tier 5 of Final Compensation) is one of the best US fire pensions — separate from PERS, dedicated to first responders
- +Highest-tier US firefighter base pay — average $80K base, Bergen / Morris captains with OT clear $125-180K total comp
- +Atlantic City casino-floor + Port Authority + NJ corporate (J&J/Merck/Prudential/BMS) event-detail economy adds $25-45K/year of senior-FF side income
- +NJ Retirement Income Exclusion ($100K MFJ / $75K single, 62+) shields most pension income from state tax for FFs retiring under the threshold
- +OBBBA 2025 federal OT deduction provides federal-only relief on the heavy structural OT typical in NJ firefighting
Vale la pena saber antes de firmar
- −NJ does NOT conform to OBBBA federal overtime deduction at state level — 6.37% bracket bite stays on full OT premium
- −Highest effective property tax in US (~2.21% statewide, 2.5-3% in Bergen / Essex / Camden / Union) — $700K home runs $15-18K/year in property tax alone
- −Cost of living in Bergen / Morris is genuinely high — $700-900K family home is the working-FF entry point
- −Newark and Jersey City urban-FF call volumes and injury rates remain higher than Bergen suburbs
- −Retirement-relocation pull to PA / DE / FL is real — many senior firefighters leave for $5-10K/year of property-tax relief alone
Fuentes y Metodología
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — tramos federales y deducción estándar 2026
- →IRS Notice 2025-67 — límites de aportación a planes de jubilación 2026
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — límites de aportación a HSA 2026
- →Administración del Seguro Social — base salarial del Seguro Social 2026
- →NJ-1040 Instructions (Division of Taxation)
- →Estadísticas de Empleo y Salarios por Ocupación (BLS OES) — datos salariales de Bombero en New Jersey
Las cifras salariales son estimaciones de mercado para Bombero en New Jersey y varían según el empleador, la especialidad, la antigüedad y el área metropolitana. Los cálculos de sueldo neto asumen un declarante soltero sin dependientes, la deducción estándar y las tasas estatales de New Jersey para 2026. Los impuestos locales, las primas de seguro y las aportaciones antes de impuestos cambiarán tu resultado — usa la calculadora para tu situación específica.
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