Firefighters
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.
- O*NET-SOC code
33-2011.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$59,280
Employment, U.S.345,990
Median hourly wage$28.50
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $34,910 | $44,490 | $59,280 | $77,250 | $101,040 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7,260 | $47,600 | 1.54 |
| Alaska | 1,040 | $58,830 | 1.43 |
| Arizona | 7,500 | $59,280 | 1.04 |
| Arkansas | 2,480 | $39,690 | 0.86 |
| California | 31,470 | $85,120 | 0.78 |
| Colorado | 6,510 | $74,170 | 1.02 |
| Connecticut | 2,970 | $77,630 | 0.79 |
| Delaware | 560 | $46,710 | 0.52 |
| District of Columbia | 1,480 | $75,870 | 0.95 |
| Florida | 24,570 | $58,550 | 1.11 |
| Georgia | 12,700 | $46,550 | 1.17 |
| Idaho | 2,240 | $47,320 | 1.17 |
| Illinois | 18,400 | $78,380 | 1.36 |
| Indiana | 8,530 | $62,780 | 1.20 |
| Iowa | 2,170 | $55,810 | 0.63 |
| Kansas | 3,360 | $45,900 | 1.05 |
| Kentucky | 5,150 | $37,150 | 1.16 |
| Louisiana | 5,230 | $33,120 | 1.22 |
| Maine | 2,480 | $48,290 | 1.74 |
| Maryland | 5,340 | $73,810 | 0.87 |
| Massachusetts | 11,940 | $72,800 | 1.48 |
| Michigan | 6,610 | $54,640 | 0.67 |
| Minnesota | 5,810 | $38,110 | 0.89 |
| Mississippi | 2,920 | $35,880 | 1.13 |
| Missouri | 6,580 | $49,080 | 1.01 |
| Montana | 1,010 | $59,310 | 0.89 |
| Nebraska | 1,070 | $61,040 | 0.47 |
| Nevada | 2,640 | $66,570 | 0.77 |
| New Hampshire | 2,700 | $56,620 | 1.77 |
| New Jersey | 7,500 | $84,130 | 0.79 |
| New Mexico | 2,420 | $41,590 | 1.25 |
| New York | 12,950 | $100,960 | 0.60 |
| North Carolina | 19,410 | $37,940 | 1.77 |
| North Dakota | 820 | $55,080 | 0.86 |
| Ohio | 18,100 | $59,370 | 1.47 |
| Oklahoma | 4,150 | $49,710 | 1.09 |
| Oregon | 3,790 | $70,900 | 0.87 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,020 | $73,460 | 0.37 |
| Rhode Island | 1,620 | $67,380 | 1.46 |
| South Carolina | 7,780 | $42,570 | 1.52 |
| South Dakota | 610 | $48,160 | 0.60 |
| Tennessee | 7,020 | $49,300 | 0.96 |
| Texas | 28,170 | $60,180 | 0.90 |
| Utah | 2,870 | $48,310 | 0.74 |
| Vermont | $46,430 | ||
| Virginia | 11,160 | $58,670 | 1.22 |
| Washington | 7,560 | $94,520 | 0.96 |
| West Virginia | 900 | $37,350 | 0.58 |
| Wisconsin | 8,120 | $46,850 | 1.24 |
| Wyoming | 680 | $58,090 | 1.09 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forest and Conservation Workers | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 2 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | 3 | 0.953 |
| 3 | Highway Maintenance Workers | 1-2 | 0.950 |
| 4 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 1-2 | 0.949 |
| 5 | Aircraft Service Attendants | 1-2 | 0.943 |
| 6 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | 1-2 | 0.938 |
| 7 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | 1-2 | 0.938 |
| 8 | Motorboat Operators | 1-2 | 0.937 |
| 9 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 1-2 | 0.936 |
| 10 | Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | 1-2 | 0.935 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Firefighters, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | Repairing | 1.12 | 0.949 |
| Motorboat Operators | Operation and Control | 1.00 | 0.937 |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | Repairing | 1.12 | 0.935 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.50 | 0.934 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | Repairing | 0.88 | 0.928 |
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.25 | 0.925 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | Repairing | 1.12 | 0.917 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Firefighters, excluding software Firefighters already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic information system GIS systems | 3 of 20 | 2.3x |
| Database software | 5 of 20 | 1.4x |
| 3 of 20 | 1.0x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.62 | 3.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.38 | 2.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Public Safety and Security | 4.07 | 5.06 |
| Transportation | 3.41 | 4.09 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.39 | 4.95 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.37 | 3.35 |
| Mechanical | 3.30 | 4.25 |
| Communications and Media | 3.19 | 3.76 |
| Education and Training | 3.18 | 3.97 |
| Telecommunications | 3.09 | 3.51 |
| Building and Construction | 3.06 | 3.16 |
| Geography | 2.98 | 3.22 |
| English Language | 2.97 | 3.44 |
| Administration and Management | 2.86 | 2.48 |
| Law and Government | 2.78 | 3.53 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.67 | 3.30 |
| Psychology | 2.64 | 3.52 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.63 | 2.63 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 2.62 | 3.12 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.37 | 2.54 |
| Chemistry | 2.35 | 2.70 |
| Physics | 2.35 | 2.69 |
| Mathematics | 2.35 | 2.29 |
| Administrative | 2.33 | 2.04 |
| Design | 2.13 | 1.75 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.11 | 1.66 |
| Production and Processing | 1.93 | 1.59 |
| Biology | 1.80 | 1.43 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.73 | 1.16 |
| Foreign Language | 1.71 | 1.12 |
| History and Archeology | 1.63 | 1.16 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.57 | 1.41 |
| Food Production | 1.46 | 0.85 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.36 | 0.85 |
| Fine Arts | 1.15 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.12 | 4.50 |
| Static Strength | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Stamina | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Control Precision | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Reaction Time | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Far Vision | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Information Ordering | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Dynamic Strength | 3.50 | 4.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.50 | 3.88 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Spatial Orientation | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Depth Perception | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Visualization | 3.12 | 3.75 |
| Explosive Strength | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Response Orientation | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Rate Control | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.62 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Memorization | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Sound Localization | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Originality | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Number Facility | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Night Vision | 2.38 | 2.88 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 2.38 | 2.25 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Affiliated Computer Services ACS FIREHOUSE
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Email software
- Fire incident reporting systems
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Incident command system ICS software
- Plume modeling software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 500 | 3.96 | $54,810 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 640 | 3.50 | $50,210 |
| Hinesville, GA | 150 | 3.22 | $49,210 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 270 | 2.95 | Not available |
| Jacksonville, NC | 340 | 2.94 | $47,870 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 850 | 2.90 | $36,820 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 220 | 2.87 | $53,530 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 460 | 2.86 | $49,240 |
| Redding, CA | 410 | 2.55 | $65,170 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 820 | 2.53 | $45,890 |