Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists Salary: $102,607 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 2,780 forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists nationally earn a mean of $102,607. Employment in the series shown fell about 12% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 12.6% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists: what the data shows
Common questions about forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists?
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 33-2022.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 2,780 workers.
What does a forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $52,380 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $102,607 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $51,236 |
| 25th percentile | $63,382 |
| Median (50th) | $92,857 |
| 75th percentile | $133,747 |
| 90th percentile | $172,571 |
What education do you need?
For Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists, 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 Critical Thinking, Coordination, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, Personnel and Human Resources. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 12.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 81.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 228.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 2,780.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do forest fire inspectors and prevention specialistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 2,780 | 20.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 2,110 | 15.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 2,080 | 14.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 2,080 | 14.9% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 1,090 | 7.8% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 1,090 | 7.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | 211,000 | $48,880 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 81,510 | $59,300 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | 14,050 | $78,060 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | 93,680 | $92,430 |
| Forest and Conservation Workers | 5,630 | $43,680 |
| Security Guards | 1,241,770 | $38,370 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists workforce.
Employment Over Time
2,780 Workforce in 2023
The Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$102,607 Average Wage
In 2023, Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists earned an average of $102,607.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Salary distribution for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Employment Growth Projections
12.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,704 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 81.3%
3,091 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 228.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 12.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Wage Trends by Industry
29.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -10.9% growth (Current: $180,776)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
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: 160 employees, $110,402 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 40 employees, $108,499 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 40 employees, $97,736 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 20 employees, $85,637 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 20 employees, $91,787 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 20 employees, $112,547 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 20 employees, $180,776 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists in 2023 was 2,780 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
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 Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists workers.
Education level distribution for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Skills
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Coordination, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Listening.
Required skills for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists include Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, Personnel and Human Resources, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists include Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
Daily Activities
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public.
Most important work activities for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
About
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
The average yearly wage for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists was $102,607 in 2023.
SOC Code
33-2022 - Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists reports an average salary of $102,607, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 2,780 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 12.6%, 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.