How to get hired at Austin Fire Department
Austin Fire hires uncertified Fire Cadets through periodic open application periods on the City of Austin jobs site. Candidates take a general aptitude written exam and a recorded Structured Oral Assessment, and are ranked on a combined score plus veteran points. Top-ranked candidates then go through pass/fail background, CPAT, psychological and medical checks before being seated in a roughly six-month paid academy.
Apply / get notifiedOfficial recruitment page
Minimum requirements
- Age 18 to 35 on the day of the written exam src
- High school diploma or GED src
- Current valid driver license from your state of residence src
- US citizen, or non-citizen authorized to work full time, with a valid Social Security card src
- Able to read, write and speak English src
- Meet NFPA 1582 medical standards src
- Eligible for future Texas fire (TCFP) and EMS (DSHS) certification src
Certifications
- EMT: not required
- Firefighter I/II: not required (academy provided)
Source: official page
Tests
- General aptitude written exam (written): Verbal comprehension, reasoning, mechanical aptitude; no fire knowledge needed; 70 to pass src
- Structured Oral Assessment (SOP) (oral): Recorded, timed scenario questions; 70 to pass src
- CPAT (physical): Pass/fail pre-hire; only AFD-issued CPAT certificates accepted src
- Psychological assessment (other): Written test plus interviews src
Hiring process
- Candidate Interest Card (optional)
- Apply online during application period
- Written exam
- Structured Oral Assessment
- Ranked eligibility list (with veteran points)
- Conditional offer
- Background, CPAT, psychological and medical assessments
- Academy placement and final offer
Source: official page
Starting pay
Cadet $22.55/hr (about $46,904/yr); $67,999/yr as probationary firefighter after academy src
Academy
About six-month cadet academy src
Checked 2026-11-05 against the department's official pages (linked). Hiring windows open and close quickly; always confirm on the official site before you apply. See every academy, EMT program and test site in Texas.