# First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

> Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-firefighting-and-prevention-workers
- SOC code: 33-1021.00
- Career family: Protective service
- Median annual pay: $93,530 (10th percentile $53,430, 90th percentile $140,010)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.7%
- Openings a year: 6,600
- Typical entry education: Postsecondary certificate
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ERC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 69 |
| Investigative (I) | 21 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 45 |
| Enterprising (E) | 86 |
| Conventional (C) | 61 |

## What you'd do

- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 93/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 88/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 84/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 84/100)
- Getting Information (importance 83/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 83/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 81/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 80/100)
- Training and Teaching Others (importance 78/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 76/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Management of Personnel Resources, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Instructing

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, Personnel and Human Resources, Building and Construction, English Language, Administration and Management, Medicine and Dentistry, Mechanical, Mathematics

## Also called

Battalion Chief, Chief, Crew Boss, Crew Chief, Deputy Fire Marshal, Division Chief, Engine Boss, Engine Captain, Fire Battalion Chief, Fire Captain

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

- [Fire Protection](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4302) (CIP 4302, 458 colleges)
- [Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0302) (CIP 0302, 204 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 |
| [California State University-Bakersfield](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-bakersfield-364) | Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | not reported | $82,315 | not reported |
| [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 |
| [West Virginia University Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/west-virginia-university-main-campus-3219) | Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | $59,962 | $75,022 | $22,313 |

## Related careers

- [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
- [Fire Inspectors and Investigators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fire-inspectors-and-investigators): $75,920 median pay
- [Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fire-prevention-and-protection-engineers): $115,160 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-security-workers): $55,940 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-police-and-detectives): $106,040 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.