# Fire Inspectors and Investigators

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fire-inspectors-and-investigators
- SOC code: 33-2021.00
- Career family: Protective service
- Median annual pay: $75,920 (10th percentile $46,530, 90th percentile $118,750)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +4.2%
- Openings a year: 1,600
- Typical entry education: Postsecondary certificate
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 75 |
| Investigative (I) | 56 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 26 |
| Enterprising (E) | 39 |
| Conventional (C) | 70 |

## What you'd do

- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 92/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 90/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 90/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 88/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 88/100)
- Getting Information (importance 87/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 85/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 83/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 83/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 80/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness, Instructing, Monitoring, Persuasion, Service Orientation

## Knowledge

Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, Building and Construction, Law and Government, Education and Training, English Language, Administration and Management, Chemistry, Psychology, Computers and Electronics

## Also called

Alarm Inspector, Alarm Sprinkler Inspector, Arson and Bomb Investigator, Arson Investigator, Bomb Investigator, Building Inspector, Canine Handler (K9 Handler), Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), Certified Fire Investigator (CFI), Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator (CVFI)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Fire Protection](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4302) (CIP 4302, 458 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Anna Maria College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/anna-maria-college-82) | Fire Protection | $104,738 | $110,044 | $25,000 |
| [Southern Illinois University-Carbondale](https://www.collegesref.com/college/southern-illinois-university-carbondale-2495) | Fire Protection | $104,092 | $108,135 | not reported |
| [Waldorf University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/waldorf-university-3151) | Fire Protection | $104,691 | $100,060 | $20,251 |
| [Utah Valley University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-valley-university-3103) | Fire Protection | $67,977 | $83,807 | $18,938 |
| [Eastern Kentucky University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/eastern-kentucky-university-866) | Fire Protection | $62,905 | $80,497 | $26,769 |
| [University of New Haven](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-new-haven-2981) | Fire Protection | $59,234 | $79,199 | $25,500 |
| [Fayetteville State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/fayetteville-state-university-944) | Fire Protection | $74,857 | $73,969 | not reported |
| [CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-john-jay-college-of-criminal-justice-740) | Fire Protection | $53,840 | $72,228 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fire-prevention-and-protection-engineers): $115,160 median pay
- [Firefighters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/firefighters): $59,280 median pay
- [Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/forest-fire-inspectors-and-prevention-specialists): $56,870 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-firefighting-and-prevention-workers): $93,530 median pay
- [Construction and Building Inspectors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/construction-and-building-inspectors): $74,690 median pay
- [Occupational Health and Safety Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/occupational-health-and-safety-specialists): $90,150 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.