Careers / Fire Inspectors and Investigators
Fire Inspectors and Investigators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$75,920
United States, 2025
Employment
13,800
United States, 2025
Typical education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions.
- O*NET code
- 33-2021.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
- Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
- Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers, such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
- Conduct inspections and acceptance testing of newly installed fire protection systems.
- Analyze evidence and other information to determine probable cause of fire or explosion.
- Photograph damage and evidence related to causes of fires or explosions to document investigation findings.
- Inspect buildings to locate hazardous conditions and fire code violations, such as accumulations of combustible material, electrical wiring problems, and inadequate or non-functional fire exits.
- Examine fire sites and collect evidence such as glass, metal fragments, charred wood, and accelerant residue for use in determining the cause of a fire.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$46,530
25th percentile
$58,690
75th percentile
$95,120
90th percentile
$118,750
Most important skills
- Active Listening3.6
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Speaking3.5
- Writing3.5
- Social Perceptiveness3.4
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Persuasion3.3
- Service Orientation3.3
- Instructing3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Active Learning3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 17 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
17
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.5 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.5 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.4 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Service Orientation | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.4 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Fire Inspectors and InvestigatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $159,220 | 40 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $129,410 | 270 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $127,920 | 210 | 2025 |
| WA | $122,900 | 380 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $119,780 | — | 2025 |
| OR | $115,080 | — | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $107,690 | 100 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $99,860 | 70 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $99,660 | 30 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $99,580 | 270 | 2025 |
| CA | $99,230 | 1,350 | 2025 |
| MD | $98,730 | 270 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $98,730 | 220 | 2025 |
| Oxnard, CA | $98,150 | 50 | 2025 |
| Fresno, CA | $98,090 | 30 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $97,250 | 80 | 2025 |
| Reno, NV | $94,750 | 40 | 2025 |
| Dallas, TX | $94,690 | 290 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $94,140 | — | 2025 |
| NV | $93,450 | 190 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Fire Inspectors and Investigators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.