Career
Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
Prevent wildfires and protect forests.
$56,870
Median pay
+13.1%
Job growth, 2025–35
400
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.
- Conduct wildland firefighting training.
- Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone.
- Direct crews working on firelines during forest fires.
- Locate forest fires on area maps, using azimuth sighters and known landmarks.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Critical Thinking, Speaking, Coordination, Active Listening.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $56,870 a year and 400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective ServicesCIP 03.0208
- Fire Science/Fire-fightingCIP 43.0203
- Wildland/Forest Firefighting and InvestigationCIP 43.0206
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$93,530 · +3.7%
- Firefighters$59,280 · +3.7%
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators$75,920 · +4.2%
- Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers
- Forest and Conservation Technicians$54,560 · -2.1%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.