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.
- O*NET-SOC code
33-2021.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$75,920
Employment, U.S.13,800
Median hourly wage$36.50
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $46,530 | $58,690 | $75,920 | $95,120 | $118,750 |
By state (43)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 40 | $78,110 | 0.21 |
| Arizona | 240 | $74,780 | 0.84 |
| Arkansas | 40 | $57,990 | 0.31 |
| California | 1,350 | $99,230 | 0.83 |
| Colorado | $85,750 | ||
| Connecticut | 420 | $80,490 | 2.81 |
| Florida | 1,060 | $75,660 | 1.20 |
| Georgia | 300 | $64,550 | 0.69 |
| Idaho | 30 | $72,810 | 0.42 |
| Illinois | 440 | $62,400 | 0.80 |
| Indiana | 200 | $73,340 | 0.72 |
| Iowa | 30 | $81,860 | 0.22 |
| Kansas | 90 | $64,290 | 0.73 |
| Kentucky | 100 | $55,970 | 0.58 |
| Louisiana | 80 | $64,820 | 0.47 |
| Maine | $58,240 | ||
| Maryland | 270 | $98,730 | 1.08 |
| Massachusetts | 200 | $81,140 | 0.62 |
| Michigan | 250 | $77,460 | 0.63 |
| Minnesota | 230 | $84,410 | 0.88 |
| Mississippi | 140 | $55,260 | 1.40 |
| Missouri | 110 | $77,240 | 0.41 |
| Nebraska | 60 | $76,770 | 0.61 |
| Nevada | 190 | $93,450 | 1.39 |
| New Hampshire | 50 | $75,230 | 0.78 |
| New Jersey | 1,290 | $60,100 | 3.39 |
| New Mexico | 160 | $64,680 | 2.05 |
| New York | 1,200 | $73,920 | 1.40 |
| North Carolina | 870 | $66,820 | 1.98 |
| North Dakota | 40 | $80,320 | 1.02 |
| Ohio | 520 | $59,280 | 1.06 |
| Oklahoma | 160 | $37,320 | 1.08 |
| Oregon | $115,080 | ||
| Pennsylvania | 280 | $59,080 | 0.52 |
| Rhode Island | 50 | $78,100 | 1.16 |
| South Carolina | 110 | $61,890 | 0.53 |
| Tennessee | 390 | $63,400 | 1.35 |
| Texas | 1,030 | $82,390 | 0.82 |
| Utah | 60 | $72,760 | 0.37 |
| Virginia | 100 | $70,460 | 0.27 |
| Washington | 380 | $122,900 | 1.19 |
| West Virginia | 70 | $52,490 | 1.08 |
| Wisconsin | 160 | $66,600 | 0.63 |
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 | Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | 3 | 0.961 |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | 3 | 0.958 |
| 3 | Security Managers | 4 | 0.957 |
| 4 | Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | 3 | 0.951 |
| 5 | Facilities Managers | 3 | 0.951 |
| 6 | Construction and Building Inspectors | 3 | 0.949 |
| 7 | Retail Loss Prevention Specialists | 1-2 | 0.946 |
| 8 | Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | 3 | 0.946 |
| 9 | Security Management Specialists | 4 | 0.944 |
| 10 | Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 3 | 0.943 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Fire Inspectors and Investigators, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | Management of Personnel Resources | 0.88 | 0.951 |
| Facilities Managers | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.12 | 0.951 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | Quality Control Analysis | 3.12 | 0.949 |
| Airfield Operations Specialists | Operations Monitoring | 2.88 | 0.942 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | Social Perceptiveness | 0.88 | 0.937 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.25 | 0.936 |
| Recycling Coordinators | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.00 | 0.920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.25 | 0.916 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Fire Inspectors and Investigators, excluding software Fire Inspectors and Investigators 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 |
|---|---|---|
| National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database | 6 of 20 | 25.2x |
| Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS | 5 of 20 | 38.5x |
| Law enforcement information databases | 5 of 20 | 38.5x |
| Computer aided composite drawing software | 4 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Crime mapping software | 4 of 20 | 46.2x |
| DesignWare 3D EyeWitness | 4 of 20 | 36.9x |
| National Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBIN | 4 of 20 | 36.9x |
| SmartDraw Legal | 4 of 20 | 36.9x |
| The CAD Zone The Crime Zone | 4 of 20 | 36.9x |
| Corel WordPerfect Office Suite | 6 of 20 | 4.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.62 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | not rated |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.62 | not rated |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.75 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.38 | not rated |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Public Safety and Security | 4.70 | 4.91 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.28 | 5.96 |
| Building and Construction | 4.23 | 4.33 |
| Law and Government | 4.09 | 3.95 |
| Education and Training | 3.99 | 4.97 |
| English Language | 3.71 | 3.87 |
| Administration and Management | 3.05 | 3.17 |
| Chemistry | 2.93 | 2.89 |
| Psychology | 2.92 | 3.88 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.91 | 3.73 |
| Mathematics | 2.90 | 3.01 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.90 | 2.73 |
| Mechanical | 2.88 | 3.35 |
| Physics | 2.85 | 3.41 |
| Communications and Media | 2.80 | 3.16 |
| Telecommunications | 2.79 | 2.63 |
| Administrative | 2.73 | 3.45 |
| Transportation | 2.67 | 2.76 |
| Design | 2.48 | 2.81 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.43 | 2.91 |
| Geography | 2.40 | 2.50 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2.32 | 2.04 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.14 | 2.12 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 2.01 | 2.13 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.95 | 1.87 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.81 | 1.21 |
| Production and Processing | 1.80 | 1.04 |
| Foreign Language | 1.74 | 0.92 |
| History and Archeology | 1.69 | 1.03 |
| Biology | 1.68 | 1.25 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.48 | 1.03 |
| Food Production | 1.38 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.13 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.12 | 3.88 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Written Expression | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Information Ordering | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.38 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.38 | 3.88 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Selective Attention | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Far Vision | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.12 | 2.62 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Visualization | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Memorization | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Depth Perception | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Number Facility | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.38 | 1.62 |
| Static Strength | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Control Precision | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Stamina | 2.25 | 1.50 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.00 | 2.25 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Response Orientation | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Sound Localization | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Rate Control | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.75 | 1.75 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.12 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Outlook in demand
- Microsoft Word in demand
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Code database software
- Consolidated Model of Fire and Smoke Transport CFAST
- Email software
- Fire Dynamics Software FDS
- National Fire Incident Reporting System NFIRS
- Web browser software
- Xerox Government systems FIREHOUSE 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 130 | 2.50 | $76,550 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 260 | 2.17 | $76,740 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,720 | 2.04 | $65,710 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 110 | 1.82 | $37,320 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 220 | 1.81 | $98,730 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 270 | 1.79 | $99,580 |
| Columbus, OH | 150 | 1.52 | $63,460 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 140 | 1.45 | $77,160 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 410 | 1.41 | $82,390 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 350 | 1.41 | $88,260 |