Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 33-2022 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$56,867
$27.34/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The national median salary for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists is $56,867 per year ($27.34/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $43,763 and $81,494 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $105,456 per year. There are approximately 2,780 forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Enforce fire regulations, inspect forest for fire hazards, and recommend forest fire prevention or control measures. May report forest fires and weather conditions.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+14.6%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
300
per year, on avg
Workforce today
3K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
13% from new growth87% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
1K
$77,600
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
1K
$48,280
Wage range across top 5 industries: $48,280 to $77,600 (61% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.03
$35,422
P25
$21.04
$43,763
P50MEDIAN
$27.34
$56,867
P75
$39.18
$81,494
P90
$50.70
$105,456
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists salary?
The national median salary for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists is $56,867 per year ($27.34/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $43,763 and $81,494 annually.
How much do top-earning forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists is $105,456 per year ($50.70/hr). The 75th percentile is $81,494 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists?
Entry-level Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,422 per year ($17.03/hr). The 25th percentile is $43,763 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.