Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,420 | $17.03 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $56,870 | $27.34 |
| Mean (average) | $66,640 | $32.04 |
| 90th percentile | $105,460 | $50.70 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 15 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $37,430 | $34,720 | $51,490 | 40 | 1.19 |
| Arizona | $58,570 | $44,620 | $90,490 | 40 | 0.71 |
| Arkansas | $43,310 | $35,010 | $49,180 | 140 | 5.88 |
| California | $97,370 | $56,790 | $169,670 | 480 | 1.48 |
| Colorado | $50,170 | $42,160 | $81,430 | 210 | 4.03 |
| Florida | $51,690 | $45,610 | $73,240 | 100 | 0.54 |
| Georgia | $48,010 | $42,640 | $61,080 | 350 | 4.04 |
| Idaho | $47,050 | $43,680 | $57,620 | 50 | 2.95 |
| Louisiana | $75,480 | $34,370 | $102,480 | 90 | 2.66 |
| Maine | $68,310 | $54,020 | $79,330 | 60 | 4.82 |
| Mississippi | $31,720 | $29,890 | $39,750 | 100 | 4.58 |
| New Jersey | $57,380 | $43,910 | $87,560 | 140 | 1.82 |
| Oklahoma | $61,700 | $40,370 | $116,430 | 310 | 10.21 |
| Oregon | $73,530 | $58,100 | $88,690 | 140 | 3.87 |
| Utah | $90,020 | $73,800 | $106,560 | 50 | 1.6 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services CIP 03.0208
- Fire Science/Fire-fighting CIP 43.0203
- Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation CIP 43.0206
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes.
- Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena.
- Compile and report meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity, and types of cloud formations.
Technology skills
- Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation (hot technology)
- Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Ansible software (hot technology)
- Docker (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Git (hot technology)
- Kubernetes (hot technology)
- Linux (hot technology)
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP (hot technology)
- Microsoft Azure software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerShell (hot technology)
- Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Instructing, Time Management, Management of Personnel Resources.
Common job titles: Fire Management Officer, Fire Operations Forester, Fire Prevention Officer, Fire Prevention Technician, Fire Technician, Forest Officer, Forest Patrolman, Forestry Patrolman, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, Wildfire Prevention Specialist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists make?
The national median annual wage for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists was $56,870 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $35,420 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $105,460. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists to change +13.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($97,370), Utah ($90,020), Louisiana ($75,480). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.