Firefighters vs Pharmacy Technicians
Firefighters earns $13,530 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Firefighters | Pharmacy Technicians | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $59,280 | $45,750 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $34,910 to $101,040 | $36,020 to $61,040 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Typical entry education | Postsecondary nondegree award | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Jobs opening up each year | 26,800 | 44,700 |
| Growth by 2035 | 3.7% | 6.4% |
| People doing it now | 355,300 | 471,200 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $100,960 in New York down to $33,120 in Louisiana | $58,900 in Washington down to $38,210 in West Virginia |
Also compared: Automotive Service Technicians vs Firefighters Automotive Service Technicians vs Pharmacy Technicians Carpenters vs Firefighters Carpenters vs Pharmacy Technicians Dental Assistants vs Firefighters Dental Assistants vs Pharmacy Technicians
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Firefighters
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators
- Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers
- Emergency Medical Technicians
What these usually take: A trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
Pharmacy Technicians
- Pharmacists
- Pharmacy Aides
- Medical Assistants
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
- Phlebotomists
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
What these usually take: A trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Jobs that take more training than this one
A job zone is the U.S. Department of Labor’s published measure of how much preparation a job takes. It says nothing about pay.
Firefighters
- Fire-Prevention and Protection EngineersUsually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
- Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsUsually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
Pharmacy Technicians
- PharmacistsGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
O*NET 30.3 Database and O*NET Job Zones, U.S. Department of Labor. A job zone is a published measure of how much preparation an occupation takes, not a measure of pay or of whether a job is better. Pay differences are BLS median annual wages, May 2025, and are shown only where both jobs are on this site.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.