Fire Inspectors and Investigators Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of fire inspectors and investigators to grow 4.2% from 2025 to 2035 (about 600 more jobs), with about 1,600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $75,920 a year ranks 272nd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +4.2%
- Openings a year
- 1,600
- Median pay
- $75,920
- Pay rank
- 272nd of 825
Is employment of fire inspectors and investigators growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of fire inspectors and investigators to rise 4.2% (about 600 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +1.1% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 24 protective service occupations with a projection. That change ranks 287th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 14,700 |
| Employment, 2035 | 15,300 |
| Projected change | +4.2% |
| Openings a year | 1,600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 14,700 jobs here differ from the 13,800 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 584th most of 830 occupations. About 96% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 60 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for fire inspectors and investigators rank?
The median of $75,920 a year ranks 272nd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: postsecondary nondegree award.
- Work experience in a related occupation: 5 years or more.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefighters | +3.7% | 26,800 | $59,280 |
| Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | +13.1% | 400 | $56,870 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | +3.7% | 6,600 | $93,530 |
| Security Guards | +0.9% | 156,000 | $38,020 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers | +3.7% | 6,800 | $55,940 |
| Transit and Railroad Police | +3.2% | 300 | $90,230 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | +5.4% | 1,200 | $115,160 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | 0% | 14,800 | $74,690 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.