[mrguyorama]

65% of American Firefighters are volunteer.

Funding for Firefighters in the US is usually on the county level. The vast majority of counties in the US are poor as dirt, and can't pay for anything.

Don't ever use an "average" to look at the US. From education to sewers to courts to elections to the DMV to land zoning, the US is 50 different countries. They do wildly different things, have wildly different results, and generally are hard to compare.

Then add the Rural/Urban divide and things become even more bleak. Rural fire departments are usually partially or mostly volunteer forces.

So while Urban fire departments probably pay alright (ignoring that the job is "Run into that burning building and maybe die"), do not mistake that for "Firefighters (in general) get paid well"

[nickff]

I never used an average.