I found an article in a website titled www.unemployementality.com. It was regarding applicants for Firefighter positions with the city of San Francisco. The article claimed that there were 1200 applicants for 200 jobs that started out at $68,0000 per year. Not bad odds for a job that pays that well. Most likely the average applicant has a high school diploma and an EMT.

I was a county firefighter for a while a long time ago and wish that I had stayed.

Skyhigh

 

Firefighting is a great job.

 

One day on two days off, with vacation leave, kelly days you can expect to work about 100-105 days a year! 260 or so days a year at home!! Around where I live they make about $75,000 with great bennies and pension.

 

My uncle was a firefighter in Racine, WI (between Chicago and Milwaukee) He enjoyed it and would say - oh its great! I get to break down someones door with an ax, walk in - destroy everything in sight and spray a high pressure hose all around, and they thank me for it!! and I don't even clean up! - Then again the job wore him out and made him lose his trust in people. He always talked about seeing the negative side of society and people at their worst, When I visited him one summer he was giving me a tour of the station with they got called out to a shooting where a 10 year old accidentally shot his friend in the back seat of their car while their mother was getting grocerys He talks about how he "locks up" in big crowds and I can't blame him for it after all his dealings with societys ills. So yeah - pro's AND cons.

 

My uncle is a fire chief and he does have an awesome schedule. Works 8 24 hour periods a month and can take one of those days off paid for personal reasons! Plus he makes around 120k...he has been a fire fighter for over 30 years! Not a bad gig if you can get into it, but its more of a who you know than what you can do.

 

Let’s all go be firefighters!

 

Don't forget about the challenges of being a firefighter in California. We have nasty wildfires that occur in hurricane-force Santa Ana winds and near zero humidity. Most wildfires are fought by firefighters from all over the state. Last fall I remember seeing fire trucks from the City of Davis (near Sacramento) during the fires in Orange County in Southern California. So no matter where in the state you work, you are likely to be called up when we have a major wildfire, which seems to happen every year now.

I did just field a call from a headhunter about several accounting positions, one of which is with a major homebuilder. Their business is down more 60% this year, but they are still adding to their finance ranks...

 

Financing you would think wouldn't be doing well, buy my cousin just switched to another accounting firm and is making over 100G's. Yes she has been at it for awhile so you just can't walk into those jobs, but according to her firms are hiring because clients want more clarification/accouting of expenditures(sign of the tight budget times I guess).

As for firefighters fighting wild fires. The gym I used to go to I met a Firefighter who said they loved that stuff. It was overtime pay and they were out of the firehouse getting paid overtime even when they were hanging out in the mountains waiting for firefighting assignments(like sitting ready reserve but getting paid overtime). Obviously alot harder and dirtier anyday than flying a plane for sure. But probably worth looking into if people don't mind the smoke, dirt and near death experiences...

 

The pay sounds good. However, how far does $68K go in San Francisco?

 

probably not very far. Hence, anyone that I know that doesn't make six figures that lives up there lives either south in San Jose or further.