Fire Inspectors and Investigators

Law, Public Safety, Corrections and SecurityO*NET 33-2021.00United States

Inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $76,159
Projected change: +5.3%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 14.83K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What fire inspectors and investigators do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers, such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
Conduct inspections and acceptance testing of newly installed fire protection systems.
Analyze evidence and other information to determine probable cause of fire or explosion.
Photograph damage and evidence related to causes of fires or explosions to document investigation findings.
Examine fire sites and collect evidence such as glass, metal fragments, charred wood, and accelerant residue for use in determining the cause of a fire.
Inspect buildings to locate hazardous conditions and fire code violations, such as accumulations of combustible material, electrical wiring problems, and inadequate or non-functional fire exits.
Instruct children about the dangers of fire.
Conduct fire code compliance follow-ups to ensure that corrective actions have been taken in cases where violations were found.
Inspect properties that store, handle, and use hazardous materials to ensure compliance with laws, codes, and regulations, and issue hazardous materials permits to facilities found in compliance.
Write detailed reports of fire inspections performed, fire code violations observed, and corrective recommendations offered.
Identify corrective actions necessary to bring properties into compliance with applicable fire codes, laws, regulations, and standards, and explain these measures to property owners or their representatives.
Develop or review fire exit plans.
Inspect and test fire protection or fire detection systems to verify that such systems are installed in accordance with appropriate laws, codes, ordinances, regulations, and standards.
Coordinate efforts with other organizations, such as law enforcement agencies.
Attend training classes to maintain current knowledge of fire prevention, safety, and firefighting procedures.
Review blueprints and plans for new or remodeled buildings to ensure the structures meet fire safety codes.
Teach fire investigation techniques to other firefighter personnel.
Conduct fire exit drills to monitor and evaluate evacuation procedures.
Teach public education programs on fire safety and prevention.
Recommend changes to fire prevention, inspection, and fire code endorsement procedures.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $45,892
25th percentile: $58,173
50th percentile: $76,159
75th percentile: $96,486
90th percentile: $120,361

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $76,159 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+5.3%average or slower

202514,828 jobs

2035 projected15,610 jobs

782 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less: 29.4%
Certificate: 27.5%
Some college: 26%
Associate degree: 12.8%
Bachelor's degree: 2.2%
Master's or Professional degree: 2%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Codes
Fire Alarm Systems
Fire Protection
Good Driving Record
Sprinkler Systems
Fire Protection Systems
Fire Prevention
Fire Suppression Systems
Fire And Life Safety
Lifting Ability
Fire Safety
Alarm Devices
Fire Investigation
Construction
Fire Science
Hand Tools
Firefighting
Working at Heights
Low Voltage
Electrical Wiring

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Fire Sprinkler Inspectors666 postings
02Fire Alarm Inspectors594 postings
03Fire Protection Inspectors246 postings
04Fire Inspectors222 postings
05Fire Alarm and Fire Sprinkler Inspectors136 postings
06Fire Extinguisher Technicians131 postings
07Fire Investigators109 postings
08Special Investigations Unit Consultants64 postings
09Fire Safety Officers63 postings
10Fire Alarm Systems Technicians62 postings
11Fire Suppression Technicians62 postings
12Fire Prevention Specialists53 postings
13Fire Prevention Inspectors49 postings
14Fire Safety Technicians39 postings
15Plans Examiners28 postings
16Fire Sprinkler Foremen22 postings
17Forensic Investigators22 postings
18Fire Prevention Officers21 postings
19Commercial Technicians17 postings
20Fire Sprinkler Technicians16 postings

Top employers

01Johnson Controls192 postings
02GPAC102 postings
03Western States Fire Protection102 postings
04Impact Fire Services97 postings
05Pye-Barker Fire & Safety97 postings
06Impact Fire Limited83 postings
07Siemens70 postings
08The Hartford64 postings
09Sciens Building Solutions51 postings
10International Fire Protection49 postings
11Rimkus Consulting Group49 postings
12Century Fire Protection37 postings
13Intel33 postings
14S A Comunale29 postings
15Convergint Technologies26 postings
16EMCOR Group26 postings
17Encore Fire Protection26 postings
18Firetrol Protection Systems22 postings
19American Fire Protection Group20 postings
20Eagle Fire19 postings

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