Firefighters' pay compared with others in state

Base pay for Kalispell’s firefighters is generally lower than those in Bozeman, Helena and Missoula.

Firefighters in Kalispell tend to work more hours than those in the other cities, however, and this helps make up for the lower hourly wage.

The Daily Inter Lake investigated pay from the four fire departments after a contract arbitrator said Kalispell firefighters had the lowest pay of the largest seven cities in the state.

Not counting longevity and other incentives, Kalispell’s base salaries for its firefighters range from $16.20 for probationary firefighters to $21.60 for captains.

Bozeman firefighters’ base pay ranges from $15.97 and $17.69 for probationary firefighters to $23.87 for captains.

Helena firefighters’ base pay ranges from $18.59 for probationary firefighters to $25.09 for captains. Missoula firefighters’ pay ranges from $19.25 for probationary firefighters to $29.07 for captains.

Kalispell firefighters work is based on 2,834 hours a year. Bozeman’s firefighters work 2,756 hours a year. Helena’s firefighters work 2,434 hours a year while Missoula’s work 2,184.

When multiplying the above salaries by the number of hours worked, Kalispell’s probationary firefighters make $45,910 per year and their captains make $61,214.

Using the same method, Bozeman’s probationary upper-tier probationary firefighters and captains make $48,753 and $65,785.

The same figures for Helena and Missoula are as follows: Helena, $45,248 and $61,069; Missoula, $42,042 and $63,489.

Using those figures, Bozeman’s firefighters are the best paid annually. Kalispell’s and Helena’s annual pay totals are comparable. And while Missoula’s probationary firefighters make less, that city’s captains make more.

The four departments pay their firefighters differently for longevity. Kalispell is paying 23 cents per hour per year of service with the department. City Attorney Charlie Harball noted that approximately six years ago, the city’s firefighters had their longevity pay rolled into their base pay. The city then ended longevity pay until adding it back again for this fiscal year. Some of the other seven largest Montana cities did the same thing, Harball said.

Other cities use various formulas when computing longevity pay.

The Kalispell pay figures do not include benefits.

When benefits are factored in, the beginning pay for Kalispell firefighters is more than $63,000 a year while the pay plus benefits for the most senior firefighter is more than $105,000 a year. A captain’s pay in Kalispell including benefits would be more than $82,000 a year, according to a salary schedule provided by the city of Kalispell.