Firefighters vs Fire Inspectors
Median pay is about $17k higher for Fire Inspectors. The usual entry education is postsecondary cert for Firefighters and high school plus experience for Fire Inspectors.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Firefighters | Fire Inspectors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $59,280 | $75,920, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $44,490 | $58,690, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $77,250 | $95,120, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +3.7% Growing | +4.2% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 26,800 | 1,600 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Postsecondary cert | High school plus experience |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.8 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 17th pct | 19th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Firefighters
- Active Learning
Only Fire Inspectors
- Writing
Both lean on critical thinking, active listening, speaking, monitoring, reading comprehension.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.