What does a Firefighter salary really buy you in Arizona?
Arizona is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Arizona's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 99.9, meaning prices are 0.1% lower the national average. A Firefighter earning $58,650 in Arizona has the equivalent purchasing power of $58,708 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Arizona's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $36,650 | $36,686 | +$36 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $45,160 | $45,205 | +$45 |
| Median (P50) | $58,650 | $58,708 | +$58 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $71,970 | $72,042 | +$72 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $79,780 | $79,859 | +$79 |
Arizona's cost of living is close to the national average, so $58,650 keeps most of its value at $58,708 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Firefighter salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Arizona ranks #23 out of 49 states for Firefighter after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Firefighter in Arizona earns a median salary of $58,650 per year. After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living (RPP=99.9), the real purchasing power is $58,708 — a +0.1% difference.
Arizona's cost of living is 0.1% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Arizona is 99.9 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Firefighter in Arizona: $58,650 x (100 / 99.9) = $58,708. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.