First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Protective Service · SOC 33-1021 · O*NET 33-1021.00
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers fall under the Protective Service category in the U.S. occupational classification. First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers earn a median salary of $92,430 per year, ranking in the top 17% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.4% 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 first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers earn?
The median annual wage for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers is $92,430. That puts first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers at #140 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) | $53,970 |
| 25th percentile | $72,240 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $92,430 |
| 75th percentile | $115,990 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $142,300 |
| Median hourly wage | $44.44/hr |
Is first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers is +3.4%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 97K positions in 2024 to 100K in 2034, a net change of 3K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
- 2.Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
- 3.Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
- 4.Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
- 5.Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
- 6.Instruct and drill fire department personnel in assigned duties, including firefighting, medical care, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and related subjects.
- 7.Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
- 8.Evaluate the performance of assigned firefighting personnel.
Top skills for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
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 first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention worker?
Many first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers 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
- Transit and Railroad Police$82,320 median
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators$78,060 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 first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
What is the median salary for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers?
The median annual salary for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers is $92,430 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers a growing career?
BLS projects +3.4% growth for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention worker?
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 first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers?
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.