What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Firefighting Helicopter Pilot?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Firefighting Helicopter Pilot jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Andrews, MD (27.4% above average), followed by Templeton, CA and Vineyard Haven, MA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Andrews, MD $127,737 $10,644 $2,456 $61.41 Templeton, CA $123,003 $10,250 $2,365 $59.14 Vineyard Haven, MA $121,158 $10,096 $2,329 $58.25 Sitka, AK $120,768 $10,064 $2,322 $58.06 Holdrege, NE $120,085 $10,007 $2,309 $57.73 San Francisco, CA $118,111 $9,842 $2,271 $56.78 San Jose, CA $117,491 $9,790 $2,259 $56.49 King City, CA $117,410 $9,784 $2,257 $56.45 Waimea, HI $116,924 $9,743 $2,248 $56.21 Harris, NY $116,844 $9,737 $2,247 $56.17

Firefighting Helicopter Pilot

Firefighting Helicopter Pilot Salary

Q: How much does a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot make?

The average annual pay for a firefighting helicopter pilot in the United States is $100,249 a year — that works out to approximately $48.20 an hour. The middle 80% of Firefighting Helicopter Pilots earn between $83,000 (10th percentile) and $117,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

$71.5K

$98.5K

$123K

$100,249

/year

$48.20

/hour

Firefighting Helicopter Pilot Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$100,249

Columbus

Ohio

$96,830

Do you get a good deal as a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot?

Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.

Take The Breakroom Quiz

How much does a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot make?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average annual pay for a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot in the United States is $100,249 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $48.20 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,927/week or $8,354/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $123,000 and as low as $71,500, the majority of Firefighting Helicopter Pilot salaries currently range between $90,000 (25th percentile) to $112,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $117,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot varies greatly (by as much as 22000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Firefighting Helicopter Pilot in your area makes on average $96,830 per year, or $3,419 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $100,249. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Firefighting Helicopter Pilot salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Firefighting Helicopter Pilot jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Firefighting Helicopter Pilot Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot job is above the national average. Topping the list is Andrews, MD, , with Templeton, CA, and Vineyard Haven, MA, close behind in the second and third positions. Vineyard Haven, MA, beats the national average by $20,909 (20.9%), and Andrews, MD, furthers that trend with another $27,488 (27.4%) above the $100,249 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 8% between Andrews, MD, and Harris, NY, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Firefighting Helicopter Pilot role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Andrews, MD	$127,737	$10,644	$2,456	$61.41
Templeton, CA	$123,003	$10,250	$2,365	$59.14
Vineyard Haven, MA	$121,158	$10,096	$2,329	$58.25
Sitka, AK	$120,768	$10,064	$2,322	$58.06
Holdrege, NE	$120,085	$10,007	$2,309	$57.73
San Francisco, CA	$118,111	$9,842	$2,271	$56.78
San Jose, CA	$117,491	$9,790	$2,259	$56.49
King City, CA	$117,410	$9,784	$2,257	$56.45
Waimea, HI	$116,924	$9,743	$2,248	$56.21
Harris, NY	$116,844	$9,737	$2,247	$56.17

What are Top 0 Best Paying Related Firefighting Helicopter Pilot Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Firefighting Helicopter Pilot job category, we found that related job jobs have average salaries similar than Firefighting Helicopter Pilot jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Firefighting Helicopter Pilot salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $100,249 per year or $48.20 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

All Salaries Firefighting Helicopter Pilot Salary