Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists Salary
Protective Service Occupations · 2.8K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$56,870
Median hourly
$27
Average annual
$66,640
Typical range
$35,420–$105,460
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists is $56,870 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $27 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Enforce fire regulations, inspect forest for fire hazards, and recommend forest fire prevention or control measures. May report forest fires and weather conditions..
Most earn between $35,420 and $105,460 a year. There are roughly 2.8K people employed as forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists.
- Hourly
- $27.34
- Daily
- $219
- Weekly
- $1,094
- Bi-weekly
- $2,187
- Monthly
- $4,739
- Annual
- $56,870
$56,870 a year is around the 50th percentile for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialistss. The median is $56,870.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$107,320
- 2Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$105,460
- 3New Orleans-Metairie, LA$102,480
- 4San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$96,380
- 5Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$90,020
- 6San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$80,100
- 7Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$77,420
- 8Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$72,850
- 9New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$58,240
- 10Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$51,260
- 11Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$50,170
- 12Fort Collins-Loveland, CO$42,160
Related job titles
Employers advertise Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists roles under these titles.
- District Ranger
- Environmental Protection Fire Control Officer
- Fire Management Officer
- Fire Management Technician
- Fire Observer
- Fire Operations Forester
- Fire Prevention Technician
- Fire Range Technician
- Fire Ranger
- Fire Tower Keeper
- Fire Warden
- Fire Watcher
- Forest Fire Control Officer
- Forest Fire Officer
- Forest Officer
- Forest Patrolman
Related occupations
- Firefighters$59,280
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$93,530
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators$75,920
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors$115,160
- Forest and Conservation Technicians$54,560
- Foresters$76,400
- Emergency Management Directors$93,330
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$90,150
What a Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists does
- Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.
- Conduct wildland firefighting training.
- Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone.
- Direct crews working on firelines during forest fires.
- Locate forest fires on area maps, using azimuth sighters and known landmarks.
- Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes.
- Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena.
- Compile and report meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity, and types of cloud formations.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists make?
- The median annual wage for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists is $56,870 ($27 per hour). Pay ranges from about $35,420 at the 10th percentile to $105,460 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $66,640, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialistss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $97,370.
- Is Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 2.8K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists do?
- Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.; Conduct wildland firefighting training.; Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone..