Fire Protection: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 43.02. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 833 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 369 | 9,373 | $52,514 | $62,436 | $7,921 24 programs |
| Associate's degree | 398 | 3,885 | $62,186 | $73,589 | $10,433 10 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 48 | 1,749 | $80,581 | $86,436 | $16,536 17 programs |
| Master's degree | 11 | 186 | $76,492 | $86,743 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 1 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 6 | 6 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Mar College TX · Public · 30 graduates measured | $70,345 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Shasta College CA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $62,997 | $70,119 | Data unavailable |
| Oakland Community College MI · Public · 27 graduates measured | $61,399 | $61,752 | $7,592 |
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 29 graduates measured | $60,536 | $64,664 | $6,696 |
| Aims Community College CO · Public · 19 graduates measured | $60,132 | $77,127 | $6,500 |
| Pima Community College AZ · Public · 17 graduates measured | $57,746 | $56,270 | Data unavailable |
| North Central Texas College TX · Public · 30 graduates measured | $54,553 | $59,766 | $5,500 |
| Indian River State College FL · Public · 26 graduates measured | $54,345 | $62,176 | Data unavailable |
| Lamar Institute of Technology TX · Public · 18 graduates measured | $53,951 | $68,097 | Data unavailable |
| Prairie State College IL · Public · 19 graduates measured | $53,930 | Data unavailable | $11,500 |
| Butte College CA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $53,409 | $67,238 | $6,500 |
| Hutchinson Community College KS · Public · 21 graduates measured | $53,037 | Data unavailable | $23,000 |
| Manatee Technical College FL · Public · 32 graduates measured | $52,923 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Santa Ana College CA · Public · 79 graduates measured | $52,616 | $68,944 | $15,924 |
| Augusta Technical College GA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $51,403 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Gateway Community College · Public · 25 graduates measured | $93,965 | Data unavailable | $8,513 |
| North Shore Community College MA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $90,849 | $87,731 | $11,000 |
| Columbia Southern University AL · Private, for-profit · 158 graduates measured | $86,739 | $88,114 | $10,058 |
| Waldorf University IA · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $78,411 | $90,602 | Data unavailable |
| Utah Valley University UT · Public · 18 graduates measured | $78,096 | $78,436 | $10,808 |
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 38 graduates measured | $71,279 | $81,259 | $22,970 |
| Pikes Peak State College CO · Public · 18 graduates measured | $69,030 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 24 graduates measured | $62,638 | $77,650 | $8,100 |
| Lakes Region Community College NH · Public · 19 graduates measured | $57,408 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 19 graduates measured | $56,579 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Vincennes University IN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $49,533 | $64,879 | Data unavailable |
| Hutchinson Community College KS · Public · 30 graduates measured | $48,353 | $63,072 | $9,500 |
| Mt San Antonio College CA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $46,120 | $74,354 | Data unavailable |
| Spokane Community College WA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $45,744 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| College of Southern Nevada NV · Public · 17 graduates measured | $43,081 | $64,487 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Oregon University OR · Public · 30 graduates measured | $115,217 | Data unavailable | $15,062 |
| Anna Maria College MA · Private, nonprofit · 43 graduates measured | $104,738 | $110,044 | $24,750 |
| Waldorf University IA · Private, for-profit · 39 graduates measured | $104,691 | $100,060 | $14,806 |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale IL · Public · 25 graduates measured | $104,092 | $108,135 | $17,188 |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 22 graduates measured | $93,820 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Columbia Southern University AL · Private, for-profit · 297 graduates measured | $93,578 | $88,735 | $14,907 |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 43 graduates measured | $82,625 | $97,839 | $13,111 |
| University of Florida-Online FL · Public · 43 graduates measured | $82,625 | $97,839 | $13,111 |
| Liberty University VA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $79,958 | Data unavailable | $24,591 |
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 90 graduates measured | $75,238 | $97,967 | $29,008 |
| Fayetteville State University NC · Public · 31 graduates measured | $74,857 | $73,969 | $12,476 |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus OK · Public · 34 graduates measured | $73,343 | $99,557 | $22,493 |
| Lake Superior State University MI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $68,504 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Utah Valley University UT · Public · 59 graduates measured | $67,977 | $83,807 | $16,536 |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver CO · Public · 19 graduates measured | $67,767 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 110 graduates measured | $71,275 | $74,656 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Fire Protection
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary | $63,820 | -0.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers | $93,530 | +3.7% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Firefighters | $59,280 | +3.7% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Fire inspectors and investigators | $75,920 | +4.2% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists | $56,870 | +13.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (7)
- 43.0201 Fire Prevention and Safety Technology/Technician
- 43.0202 Fire Services Administration
- 43.0203 Fire Science/Fire-fighting
- 43.0204 Fire Systems Technology
- 43.0205 Fire/Arson Investigation and Prevention
- 43.0206 Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation
- 43.0299 Fire Protection, Other