Career
First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
Lead firefighters on the line and at the station.
$93,530
Median pay
+3.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
6,600
Openings a year
Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical education
Under 2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
- Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
- Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
- Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
- Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
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 persuasion & leadership, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Management of Personnel Resources.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
Under 2 years of education after high school (postsecondary nondegree award), for a median of $93,530 a year and 6,600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective ServicesCIP 03.0208
- Fire Prevention and Safety Technology/TechnicianCIP 43.0201
- Fire Services AdministrationCIP 43.0202
- Fire Science/Fire-fightingCIP 43.0203
- Fire/Arson Investigation and PreventionCIP 43.0205
- Fire Protection, OtherCIP 43.0299
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Firefighters$59,280 · +3.7%
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists$56,870 · +13.1%
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators$75,920 · +4.2%
- Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940 · +3.7%
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.