Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
Enforce fire regulations, inspect forest for fire hazards, and recommend forest fire prevention or control measures. May report forest fires and weather conditions.
What it pays
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists earn a median of $27.34/hr — about $57,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.03/hr; the top 10% earn $50.70/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists earn a median of $27.34/hr — about $57,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.03/hr; the top 10% earn $50.70/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually 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.
- Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and analytical.
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Quick questions
- How much does a forest fire inspectors and prevention specialist make?
- The median pay is $27.34 per hour — roughly $57,000 a year, with the real range running from about $17.03/hr (10th percentile) to $50.70/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a forest fire inspectors and prevention specialist?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a forest fire inspectors and prevention specialist actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.