Anonymous
09/15/2025 12:50
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote: Very few are making the $250k numbers being discussed here. Your starting salary will be well below 100k. Best way to crack 100k in salary fast is upgrading to paramedic (fire medic) or getting promotions.
This is a very good point. Perhaps younger people should skip college and get their paramedic certification in two years, then go the firefighter route. Fairfax County offers a signing bonus and a higher starting salary for firefighter/paramedics. It looks like they start at around $83,000.
https://joinfcfrd.org/about/
Anonymous
09/15/2025 12:37
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:A lot of people die in these jobs. There are many ways to make $240k that don’t include burning
There are about 1.2M firefighters in the U.S. Last year 50 died in the line of duty.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 11:47
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
A lot of people die in these jobs. There are many ways to make $240k that don’t include burning
Anonymous
09/15/2025 09:44
Subject: Re:Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Sergeant Merritt joined the Force in July 2006 and made $134,000 in 2024, NYPD records show."
https://nypost.com/2025/09/13/us-news/sergeant-busted-in-penn-station-sex-sting-police-sources/
Yeah, this idea that all cops and firefighters are making bank is bullsh**.
I’ll see your cherry picked anecdotal example and raise you this anecdotal example from the same year, same department.
How NYPD’s top earner raked in $403K last year — including an eye-popping amount in overtime
She made $204,000 in overtime.
https://nypost.com/2024/11/16/us-news/how-nypds-top-earner-raked-in-403k-last-year-including-an-eye-popping-amount-in-overtime/
No one else is the top earner, genius.
From the linked article:
“In total, 392 NYPD employees pocketed at least $100,000 in overtime this past fiscal year, records show.”
“Other NYPD officials who topped the NYPD’s payroll last year included Christopher Millevoi, a 13-year stationary engineer who raked in $389,192.65 by pulling in a staggering $200,859 in overtime pay, and Lt. John P. Brennan, a 26-year department vet who banked $378,437.62, with $168,132.38 in overtime.”
392 out of 10,000+ cops is not a lot.
Any 4th year associate will earn $400,000. (PP obviously didn't take college statistics.)
You are assuming Firefighters are not lawyers too. My friends brother who went to a great college. Took Fire Exam test right after HS. He got called to be a NYC Firefighter not long after college. They have a tuition reimbursement program for college and grad school not many take advantage of. But he did. He went to Law school while earning a full time salary, studied in the firehouse while getting paid and got Law School paid for. He is allowed to be a lawyer and a fireman. He became a lawyer full time in his 40s. After he "retired"
Anonymous
09/15/2025 09:10
Subject: Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Actual first responder here. A few things to keep in mind about firefighting careers.
1) Very few are making the $250k numbers being discussed here. Your starting salary will be well below 100k. Best way to crack 100k in salary fast is upgrading to paramedic (fire medic) or getting promotions. Neither is easy. Most firefighters and cops cannot afford to raise families in the DC metro area and often commute in from long distances. A lot of them have side hustles because they feel the need to earn extra income, not for fun.
2) Firefighters and cops have real mental health challenges. You literally see sickness, destruction, and desperation every day. Small mistakes have real human costs, and often legal liability. Firefighters and cops have a really high divorce rate.
3) Saying firefighters only work three days a week is inaccurate. Those three days are 24 hour shifts, so you're working overnight as well. In a busy station, that's a nonstop grind for 24 hours. Even in a station that's not busy, your sleep is being interrupted by calls. And remember those three days a week is not including overtime. Think about what that does to your health after a few years.
4) Speaking of health, the rates of cancer and disease are much higher than the normal population. Most firefighter calls are medical, not actual fires. So in addition to inhaling more particulates, you're also coming into frequent contact with people that have, say, hepatitis or pneumonia.
I could go on (don't even get me started on state bureaucracy), but the point is that while it's great to be a "hero," it's also a difficult gig. No one should be encouraging this career without a realistic view of the pros and cons.
1) Very few are making the $250k numbers being discussed here. Your starting salary will be well below 100k. Best way to crack 100k in salary fast is upgrading to paramedic (fire medic) or getting promotions. Neither is easy. Most firefighters and cops cannot afford to raise families in the DC metro area and often commute in from long distances. A lot of them have side hustles because they feel the need to earn extra income, not for fun.
2) Firefighters and cops have real mental health challenges. You literally see sickness, destruction, and desperation every day. Small mistakes have real human costs, and often legal liability. Firefighters and cops have a really high divorce rate.
3) Saying firefighters only work three days a week is inaccurate. Those three days are 24 hour shifts, so you're working overnight as well. In a busy station, that's a nonstop grind for 24 hours. Even in a station that's not busy, your sleep is being interrupted by calls. And remember those three days a week is not including overtime. Think about what that does to your health after a few years.
4) Speaking of health, the rates of cancer and disease are much higher than the normal population. Most firefighter calls are medical, not actual fires. So in addition to inhaling more particulates, you're also coming into frequent contact with people that have, say, hepatitis or pneumonia.
I could go on (don't even get me started on state bureaucracy), but the point is that while it's great to be a "hero," it's also a difficult gig. No one should be encouraging this career without a realistic view of the pros and cons.
Anonymous
09/14/2025 20:40
Subject: Re:Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Sergeant Merritt joined the Force in July 2006 and made $134,000 in 2024, NYPD records show."
https://nypost.com/2025/09/13/us-news/sergeant-busted-in-penn-station-sex-sting-police-sources/
Yeah, this idea that all cops and firefighters are making bank is bullsh**.
I’ll see your cherry picked anecdotal example and raise you this anecdotal example from the same year, same department.
How NYPD’s top earner raked in $403K last year — including an eye-popping amount in overtime
She made $204,000 in overtime.
https://nypost.com/2024/11/16/us-news/how-nypds-top-earner-raked-in-403k-last-year-including-an-eye-popping-amount-in-overtime/
No one else is the top earner, genius.
From the linked article:
“In total, 392 NYPD employees pocketed at least $100,000 in overtime this past fiscal year, records show.”
“Other NYPD officials who topped the NYPD’s payroll last year included Christopher Millevoi, a 13-year stationary engineer who raked in $389,192.65 by pulling in a staggering $200,859 in overtime pay, and Lt. John P. Brennan, a 26-year department vet who banked $378,437.62, with $168,132.38 in overtime.”
392 out of 10,000+ cops is not a lot.
Any 4th year associate will earn $400,000. (PP obviously didn't take college statistics.)
That’s just the ones making over $100,000 in overtime alone.
Big Law? Big hours. Big pressure. Big mental health issues. Big alcohol and substance abuse problems.
The overall percentage of college students that make it to Big Law is very small. You should definitely start a Big Law topic to discuss the costs and cons. Imagine paying $200,000 for law school to become a regular overworked lawyer?
Anonymous
09/14/2025 14:08
Subject: Re:Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Sergeant Merritt joined the Force in July 2006 and made $134,000 in 2024, NYPD records show."
https://nypost.com/2025/09/13/us-news/sergeant-busted-in-penn-station-sex-sting-police-sources/
Yeah, this idea that all cops and firefighters are making bank is bullsh**.
I’ll see your cherry picked anecdotal example and raise you this anecdotal example from the same year, same department.
How NYPD’s top earner raked in $403K last year — including an eye-popping amount in overtime
She made $204,000 in overtime.
https://nypost.com/2024/11/16/us-news/how-nypds-top-earner-raked-in-403k-last-year-including-an-eye-popping-amount-in-overtime/
No one else is the top earner, genius.
From the linked article:
“In total, 392 NYPD employees pocketed at least $100,000 in overtime this past fiscal year, records show.”
“Other NYPD officials who topped the NYPD’s payroll last year included Christopher Millevoi, a 13-year stationary engineer who raked in $389,192.65 by pulling in a staggering $200,859 in overtime pay, and Lt. John P. Brennan, a 26-year department vet who banked $378,437.62, with $168,132.38 in overtime.”
392 out of 10,000+ cops is not a lot.
Any 4th year associate will earn $400,000. (PP obviously didn't take college statistics.)