Fire Inspectors and Investigators

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$75,920

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$58,690 – $95,120

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

13,800

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+4.2%

At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)

Openings a year (projected)

1,600

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

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.

Main 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.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

Postsecondary nondegree award

Work experience in a related job: 5 years or more

Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 3

Medium preparation

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 3 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Firefighters

  $59,280 median · +3.7% projected

• Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists

  $56,870 median · +13.1% projected

• First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

  $93,530 median · +3.7% projected

• Construction and Building Inspectors

  $74,690 median · 0% projected

• Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

  $90,150 median · +18.5% projected

• Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors

  $115,160 median · +5.4% projected