Fire Inspectors and Investigators Salary: $102,823 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 14,050 fire inspectors and investigators nationally earn a mean of $102,823. Employment in the series shown rose about 47% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.7% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Fire Inspectors and Investigators: what the data shows
Common questions about fire inspectors and investigators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a fire inspectors and investigators?
Fire Inspectors and Investigators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 33-2021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 14,050 workers.
What does a fire inspectors and investigators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a fire inspectors and investigators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $78,060 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $102,823 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $59,186 |
| 25th percentile | $79,086 |
| Median (50th) | $98,914 |
| 75th percentile | $125,900 |
| 90th percentile | $151,375 |
What education do you need?
For Fire Inspectors and Investigators, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, Building and Construction, Law and Government. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is fire inspectors and investigators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.7% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 19.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 43.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 14,050.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do fire inspectors and investigatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 14,050 | 17.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 12,340 | 14.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 12,180 | 14.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 12,180 | 14.7% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 10,970 | 13.3% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 10,940 | 13.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Fire Inspectors and Investigators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | 2,780 | $52,380 |
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | 211,000 | $48,880 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 81,510 | $59,300 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | 93,680 | $92,430 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | 472,300 | $78,140 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 1,189,330 | $66,260 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Fire Inspectors and Investigators workforce.
Employment Over Time
14,050 Workforce in 2023
The Fire Inspectors and Investigators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$102,823 Average Wage
In 2023, Fire Inspectors and Investigators earned an average of $102,823.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Salary distribution for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Employment Growth Projections
3.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
5,844 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 19.8%
6,999 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 43.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Fire Inspectors and Investigators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Fire Inspectors and Investigators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Wage Trends by Industry
-0.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,180 employees, $104,357 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 210 employees, $138,689 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 180 employees, $96,241 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 170 employees, $91,674 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 80 employees, $101,989 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 80 employees, $92,209 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 80 employees, $94,883 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 70 employees, $93,474 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 40 employees, $86,522 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 40 employees, $88,291 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 40 employees, $136,864 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Fire Inspectors and Investigators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Fire Inspectors and Investigators in 2023 was 14,050 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Fire Inspectors and Investigators in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Fire Inspectors and Investigators workers.
Education level distribution for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Skills
Fire Inspectors and Investigators need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness.
Required skills for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Fire Inspectors and Investigators include Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, Building and Construction, Law and Government, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Fire Inspectors and Investigators include Problem Sensitivity, Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
Daily Activities
Fire Inspectors and Investigators spend their time on activities such as Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with People Outside the Organization.
Most important work activities for Fire Inspectors and Investigators.
About
Fire Inspectors and Investigators
The average yearly wage for Fire Inspectors and Investigators was $102,823 in 2023.
SOC Code
33-2021 - Fire Inspectors and Investigators
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Fire Inspectors and Investigators reports an average salary of $102,823, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,050 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.