SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 33-2021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $46,530 | $3,878 | $895 | $22.37 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $58,690 | $4,891 | $1,129 | $28.22 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $75,920 | $6,327 | $1,460 | $36.50 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $95,120 | $7,927 | $1,829 | $45.73 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $118,750 | $9,896 | $2,284 | $57.09 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Fire Inspectors and Investigators is $75,920, which is 49% higher. Among the 24 occupations of the field Protective Service, it ranks number 8 by median pay. With 13,800 jobs, it makes up about 0.9 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Fire Inspectors and Investigators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($122,900), Oregon ($115,080) and California ($99,230). The lowest was in Oklahoma ($37,320), West Virginia ($52,490) and Mississippi ($55,260). The most jobs were in California (1,350), New Jersey (1,290) and New York (1,200). The occupation is most concentrated in New Jersey, where its share of all jobs is 3.4 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 380 | $122,900 | $114,250 | $59.09 |
| Oregon | not published | $115,080 | $109,620 | $55.33 |
| California | 1,350 | $99,230 | $102,500 | $47.71 |
| Maryland | 270 | $98,730 | $89,060 | $47.46 |
| Nevada | 190 | $93,450 | $91,600 | $44.93 |
| Colorado | not published | $85,750 | $91,210 | $41.23 |
| Minnesota | 230 | $84,410 | $82,060 | $40.58 |
| Texas | 1,030 | $82,390 | $80,850 | $39.61 |
| Iowa | 30 | $81,860 | $78,410 | $39.35 |
| Massachusetts | 200 | $81,140 | $86,180 | $39.01 |
| Connecticut | 420 | $80,490 | $80,970 | $38.70 |
| North Dakota | 40 | $80,320 | $78,800 | $38.61 |
| Alabama | 40 | $78,110 | $73,150 | $37.55 |
| Rhode Island | 50 | $78,100 | $78,430 | $37.55 |
| Michigan | 250 | $77,460 | $77,080 | $37.24 |
| Missouri | 110 | $77,240 | $70,410 | $37.13 |
| Nebraska | 60 | $76,770 | $75,970 | $36.91 |
| Florida | 1,060 | $75,660 | $78,440 | $36.38 |
| New Hampshire | 50 | $75,230 | $77,380 | $36.17 |
| Arizona | 240 | $74,780 | $72,710 | $35.95 |
| New York | 1,200 | $73,920 | $77,180 | $35.54 |
| Indiana | 200 | $73,340 | $72,490 | $35.26 |
| Idaho | 30 | $72,810 | $83,350 | $35.01 |
| Utah | 60 | $72,760 | $72,130 | $34.98 |
| Virginia | 100 | $70,460 | $71,060 | $33.88 |
| North Carolina | 870 | $66,820 | $65,570 | $32.12 |
| Wisconsin | 160 | $66,600 | $75,720 | $32.02 |
| Louisiana | 80 | $64,820 | $74,080 | $31.16 |
| New Mexico | 160 | $64,680 | $66,440 | $31.09 |
| Georgia | 300 | $64,550 | $68,400 | $31.04 |
| Kansas | 90 | $64,290 | $69,030 | $30.91 |
| Tennessee | 390 | $63,400 | $65,800 | $30.48 |
| Illinois | 440 | $62,400 | $73,330 | $30.00 |
| South Carolina | 110 | $61,890 | $64,610 | $29.76 |
| New Jersey | 1,290 | $60,100 | $67,760 | $28.90 |
| Ohio | 520 | $59,280 | $74,790 | $28.50 |
| Pennsylvania | 280 | $59,080 | $61,990 | $28.41 |
| Maine | not published | $58,240 | $64,490 | $28.00 |
| Arkansas | 40 | $57,990 | $61,080 | $27.88 |
| Kentucky | 100 | $55,970 | $56,800 | $26.91 |
| Mississippi | 140 | $55,260 | $56,000 | $26.57 |
| West Virginia | 70 | $52,490 | $56,720 | $25.24 |
| Oklahoma | 160 | $37,320 | $51,150 | $17.94 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers$77,970 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other$76,400 a year
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210 a year
- Fish and Game Wardens$74,060 a year
- Transportation Security Screeners$66,770 a year
- Firefighters$59,280 a year
Common questions
How much do Fire Inspectors and Investigators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $75,920 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,530 and the highest-paid 10% more than $118,750.
How many people work as Fire Inspectors and Investigators?
About 13,800 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.