New Jersey firefighters are the highest paid in the United States, according to a report from the Asbury Park Press. And because of a drop in volunteers, some towns have had to hire more firefighters to close the gap.
Because of a drop in volunteer firefighters, some towns are forced to hire more paid firefighters, the report said. And that could lead to an increase in taxes.
The study, citing dating from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that the average salary for a Garden State firefighter was $95,040 in 2013. That’s not including health and pension benefits or overtime, the report said.
In 2013, there were 6,259 paid firefighters in the state, up from 6,135 in 2012, according to the report.
A majority (75 percent) of fire departments in the state were staffed by volunteers in 2012, the report said.
Read more about the report herehttp://on.app.com/1kMy0GP
