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Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists Salary in CA

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists in CA have a median annual salary of $97,370, with 480 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $56,790 at the 10th percentile to $169,670 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$97,370

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$46.81

Employment

480

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$56,790
10th
$71,880
25th
$97,370
Median
$124,060
75th
$169,670
90th

Local compared with national

CA

$97,370

Median annual · 2025

United States

$56,870

Median annual · 2025

The CA median is 71.2% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $40,500).

Top skills

  1. 1.Critical ThinkingImportance 4.0
  2. 2.SpeakingImportance 3.8
  3. 3.CoordinationImportance 3.8
  4. 4.Active ListeningImportance 3.6
  5. 5.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.6
  6. 6.Complex Problem SolvingImportance 3.5
  7. 7.MonitoringImportance 3.4
  8. 8.InstructingImportance 3.3
  9. 9.Reading ComprehensionImportance 3.1
  10. 10.WritingImportance 3.1
  11. 11.Learning StrategiesImportance 3.1
  12. 12.Time ManagementImportance 3.1

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Job zone
3

Technology used

  • Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation
  • Amazon Web Services AWS software
  • Ansible software
  • Docker
  • Facebook
  • Fire incident reporting systems
  • Git
  • Kubernetes
  • Linux
  • Mapping software
  • Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP
  • Microsoft Azure software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook

Common tasks

  • Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.
  • Conduct wildland firefighting training.
  • Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone.
  • Direct crews working on firelines during forest fires.
  • Locate forest fires on area maps, using azimuth sighters and known landmarks.
  • Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes.
  • Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena.
  • Compile and report meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity, and types of cloud formations.
  • Examine and inventory firefighting equipment, such as axes, fire hoses, shovels, pumps, buckets, and fire extinguishers, to determine amount and condition.
  • Educate the public about fire safety and prevention.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists salary in other locations

Other occupations in CA