Average Salary for Fire Inspectors and Investigators
SOC 33-2021 · Protective Service Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Fire Inspectors and Investigators in the United States is $78,060 ($37.53/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $47,580 at the 10th percentile to $149,870 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 14,050 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 39.1% since 2014.
Median Annual
$78,060
Mean Annual
$87,440
10th Pct
$47,580
75th Pct
$105,390
Employment
14,050
Salary Distribution
$48k
10th
$61k
25th
$78k
Median
$105k
75th
$150k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $149,870 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $137,320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,940 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $123,080 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $121,120 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $109,310 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $102,500 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $99,310 |
| Reno, NV | $97,740 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $96,760 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $96,180 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $95,510 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $94,940 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $94,560 |
| New Haven, CT | $93,040 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Washington | $116,950 |
| Oregon | $115,240 |
| Colorado | $97,080 |
| California | $96,180 |
| Nevada | $95,870 |
| Maryland | $90,610 |
| Michigan | $86,770 |
| Massachusetts | $84,650 |
| Texas | $83,370 |
| Missouri | $83,130 |
| Minnesota | $81,200 |
| Wyoming | $77,450 |
| New Hampshire | $77,040 |
| Connecticut | $76,620 |
| North Dakota | $75,860 |
| Iowa | $75,330 |
| New York | $75,080 |
| Arizona | $74,900 |
| Rhode Island | $74,380 |
| Utah | $72,550 |
| Illinois | $72,400 |
| Louisiana | $71,380 |
| Vermont | $71,220 |
| Nebraska | $70,300 |
| Idaho | $70,160 |
| Wisconsin | $69,920 |
| Virginia | $69,140 |
| New Jersey | $69,090 |
| North Carolina | $68,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,440 |
| Indiana | $66,090 |
| Tennessee | $65,940 |
| New Mexico | $65,330 |
| Ohio | $64,790 |
| Georgia | $64,480 |
| South Carolina | $61,780 |
| Kansas | $60,380 |
| Arkansas | $58,030 |
| Delaware | $57,840 |
| Mississippi | $54,650 |
| West Virginia | $52,820 |
| Alabama | $50,810 |
| Kentucky | $50,800 |
| Puerto Rico | $45,900 |
| Maine | $45,770 |
| Oklahoma | $37,320 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Fire Inspectors and Investigators broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | $92,610 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $92,190 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $92,190 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $90,290 |
| Engineering Services | $90,290 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $89,830 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $83,140 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $83,130 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | $81,290 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $80,240 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $80,240 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $80,240 |
| Educational Services | $75,080 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $75,080 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $69,340 |
| Finance and Insurance | $69,340 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $68,650 |
| Other Insurance Related Activities | $68,650 |
| Educational Services | $68,490 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $67,190 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $66,520 |
| Hospitals | $66,300 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $66,300 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $66,000 |
| Other Support Services | $63,390 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $57,810 |
| Security Systems Services | $57,630 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $57,550 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | $56,250 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | $56,250 |
| Construction | $56,250 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | $55,470 |
| Investigation and Security Services | $53,290 |
| Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services | $43,700 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $78,060 |
| 2023 | $74,160 |
| 2022 | $69,450 |
| 2021 | $64,600 |
| 2020 | $64,610 |
| 2019 | $61,660 |
| 2018 | $62,510 |
| 2017 | $59,260 |
| 2016 | $58,440 |
| 2015 | $56,730 |
| 2014 | $56,130 |