Firefighter Apprenticeship in North Carolina
Firefighters respond to fires, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, and hazardous material calls. Most work 24- or 48-hour shifts out of a station, alternating between active calls, equipment maintenance, training drills, and public education.
Firefighter Apprenticeship in North Carolina: Quick Facts
What apprenticeship means here
A registered firefighter apprenticeship in North Carolina combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 2.0 years and follow a hybrid structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.
North Carolina pay vs. national
Median firefighter wages in North Carolina are $37,250/year, -37% below the national median of $59,530. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.
Where to find programs
North Carolina has 11 registered apprenticeship sponsors for firefighter listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.
Job-market outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3.4% job growth for firefighters nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 27,100 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — North Carolina-specific outlook can vary from national figures.
North Carolina Wage Spread
Annual wages for Firefighters in North Carolina across all experience levels.
Current Firefighter Apprenticeship Openings in North Carolina
No firefighter apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for North Carolina. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.
Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.
Firefighter Apprenticeship Sponsors in North Carolina
11 firefighter-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for North Carolina. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current firefighter apprenticeship openings.
| Organization | City |
|---|---|
| ADVANCE FIRE DEPARTMENT | Advance |
| Town of Apex Fire Department | Apex |
| ASHEVILLE FIRE DEPT., JATC | Asheville |
| MCAS Cherry Point Fire Department | Cherry Point |
| DURHAM FIRE-RESCUE | Durham |
| Greensboro Fire Department | Greensboro |
| HIGH POINT FIRE DEPARTMENT | High Point |
| City of Raleigh Fire Department | Raleigh |
| TOWN OF WEAVERVILLE - FIRE DEPARTMENT | Weaverville |
| Wilmington Fire Department | Wilmington |
| Winston-Salem Fire Department | Winston-Salem |
Filter by occupation code 33-2011 and state NC for the most relevant results.
Firefighter Apprenticeship in North Carolina
North Carolina has 11 registered sponsors our directory identifies as Firefighter-adjacent — a functional apprenticeship pipeline concentrated in metro areas. Union locals and joint apprenticeship committees account for most placements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prefer Trade School Instead?
Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Firefighters also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.