Fire Inspectors and Investigators: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Protective Service · SOC 33-2021 · O*NET 33-2021.00
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.
Fire Inspectors and Investigators fall under the Protective Service category in the U.S. occupational classification. Fire Inspectors and Investigators earn a median salary of $78,060 per year, ranking in the top 26% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.8% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do fire inspectors and investigators earn?
The median annual wage for fire inspectors and investigators is $78,060. That puts fire inspectors and investigators at #212 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $47,580 |
| 25th percentile | $60,700 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $78,060 |
| 75th percentile | $105,390 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $149,870 |
| Median hourly wage | $37.53/hr |
Is fire inspectors and investigators a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for fire inspectors and investigators is +3.8%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 14K positions in 2024 to 15K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do fire inspectors and investigators do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working fire inspectors and investigators, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
- 2.Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
- 3.Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers, such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
- 4.Conduct inspections and acceptance testing of newly installed fire protection systems.
- 5.Analyze evidence and other information to determine probable cause of fire or explosion.
- 6.Photograph damage and evidence related to causes of fires or explosions to document investigation findings.
- 7.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.
- 8.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.
Top skills for fire inspectors and investigators
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become fire inspectors and investigator?
Many fire inspectors and investigators enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$105,980 median
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators$93,580 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$92,430 median
- Transit and Railroad Police$82,320 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers$76,310 median
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,290 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about fire inspectors and investigators
What is the median salary for fire inspectors and investigators?
The median annual salary for fire inspectors and investigators is $78,060 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is fire inspectors and investigators a growing career?
BLS projects +3.8% growth for fire inspectors and investigators from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become fire inspectors and investigator?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to fire inspectors and investigators?
Related occupations within the Protective Service category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.