All firefighters are not created equal.

The job you choose has an enormous influence on how and where you live, primarily because of differences in where certain jobs are concentrated and how much they pay. In Miami, for example, the typical firefighter/fire prevention worker earns about $88,000 per year, compared to a national median annual salary for similar workers of $65,000. As a result, Miami firefighters can typically afford both more expensive homes and a larger share of homes in the local market.

Zillow examined the share of homes in the Miami area that are reasonably affordable to different types of workers compared to the nation as a whole (figure 1). For simplicity’s sake, we assume each household only has one income equal to the median annual salary of workers in a given occupation, and are buying a home with a 20 percent down payment and at current interest rates. We also assume that buyers can afford to spend the same share of their income currently on a home as they did historically, across all job types (in Miami 20.6 percent of income, on average, historically; in the U.S., 21.3 percent). The data correspond roughly to the end of 2014.

Best of Miami

These are the occupations where workers in the Miami metro can afford a much larger share of homes relative to their peers nationwide:

• Fire fighting and prevention workers, which includes fire fighters and fire inspectors/ investigators. With a median annual income of $88,000 in Miami, these workers can afford about 80 percent of available Miami homes. Similar workers nationwide have a median annual income of $65,000, and can afford about 56 percent of homes.
• Funeral service workers, including embalmers, funeral attendants, morticians, undertakers and funeral directors. With a median annual income of $44,000, they can afford about 44 percent of Miami homes, compared to similar workers nationwide with a median annual income of $35,000 that can afford only about 25 percent of homes.
• Media and communications equipment workers, which includes radio and television announcers, broadcast news reporters and correspondents, public relations specialists, writers and authors, interpreters and translators. With a median annual income of $35,000 in the Miami area, these professionals can afford about 33 percent of Miami homes. Nationally, these workers earn roughly $28,000 per year, and can afford about 17 percent of homes.
• Occupational therapy and physical therapy and assistants and aides, which includes occupational and physical therapy aides and assistants. With a median annual income of $42,000 in the Miami area, these workers can afford about 42 percent of Miami homes. Nationwide, workers in this field have a median annual income of $37,000, and can afford about 27 percent of homes.
• Law enforcement workers, including bailiffs, correctional officers, jailers, detectives, criminal investigators, fish and game wardens, parking enforcement workers, police and sheriff patrol officers, transit and railroad police. With a median annual income of $56,000 in Miami, they can afford about 56 percent of Miami homes. These workers nationwide have a median annual income of $50,000, and can afford about 43 percent of homes.

Worst of Miami

Here are the occupations where workers in the Miami metro area can afford a much smaller share of homes relative to their peers nationwide:

• Plant and system operators, which includes power plant operators, power distributors and dispatchers, and nuclear power reactor operators. With a median annual income of $36,000 in Miami, these workers can afford about 34 percent of Miami. These workers nationwide have a median annual income of $55,000, and can afford about 49 percent of homes.
• Helpers in the construction trades, including assistants to brick masons, block masons, stonemasons, tile and marble setters, carpenters, electricians, painters, paperhangers, plasterers, stucco masons, pipe layers, plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, roofers and general construction workers. In Miami, these types of workers earn just $14,000, and can afford only5 percent of Miami homes. Nationwide, these workers have a median annual income of $24,000, and can afford about 13 percent of homes.
• Supervisors of construction and extraction workers, which includes first-line supervisors of workers in the construction and natural resource extraction industries. With a median annual income of $38,000 in and around Miami, these supervisors can afford about 37 percent of Miami homes. Nationwide, these workers have a median annual income of $51,000 and can afford about 44 percent of homes.
• Metal workers and plastic workers, which includes metal and plastic machine tool operators, forging machine setters and operators, extruding and drawing machine setters and operators, machinists, metal furnace operators, pourers and casters, tool and die makers, welders, metal cutters, solderers and brazers. With a median annual income of $28,000 in the Miami metro, these workers can afford about 22 percent of Miami homes. Nationwide, these workers have a median annual income of $38,000 and can afford about 29 percent of homes.
• Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations, including mechanical door repairers, home appliance repairers, industrial machinery mechanics, maintenance workers, electrical and telecom power-line installers and repairers, photographic equipment repairers, locksmiths and mobile home installers. With a median annual income of $32,000 in the Miami area, these workers can afford about 28 percent of Miami homes. Nationwide, workers in these fields have a median annual income of $43,000, and can afford about 35 percent of homes.