What Does it Take to Be a Forest Firefighter?

Position Description Control and suppress fires in forests or vacant public land.

Daily Life Of a Forest Firefighter

• Organize fire caches, positioning equipment for the most effective response.
• Maintain fire equipment and firehouse living quarters.
• Transport personnel and cargo to and from fire areas.
• Participate in physical training to maintain high levels of physical fitness.
• Inform and educate the public about fire prevention.
• Observe forest areas from fire lookout towers to spot potential problems.

Skills Needed to be a Forest Firefighter

Forest Firefighters state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Related Job Titles

• Forest Fire Suppression Specialist
• Smoke Chaser
• Fire Technician
• Smoke Eater
• Forest Firefighter

Are There Job Opportunities for Forest Firefighters?

In the United States, there were 327,300 jobs for Firefighters in 2016.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.2% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 23,500 new jobs for Forest Firefighters by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 24,300 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Firefighters are Texas, Florida, and California.

Watch out if you plan on working in New Jersey, Vermont, or Maryland. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Forest Firefighter Make?

The typical yearly salary for Firefighters is somewhere between $25,170 and $88,920. The median salary for this occupation is $49,620.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for jobs of this type in different U.S. states.

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
California	$81,580
New Jersey	$76,530
Washington	$73,850
New York	$73,710
Nevada	$66,830
Oregon	$66,330
Connecticut	$63,630
Hawaii	$62,670
Maryland	$61,780
Colorado	$61,160
Massachusetts	$60,080
Illinois	$56,710
Pennsylvania	$56,090
Rhode Island	$55,240
Florida	$53,340
Texas	$52,520
Virginia	$51,510
Alaska	$51,110
Missouri	$51,100
Indiana	$49,460
Montana	$49,230
Delaware	$48,800
New Hampshire	$48,640
Nebraska	$47,880
Ohio	$46,310
Michigan	$45,440
Arizona	$45,150
South Dakota	$44,710
Iowa	$43,970
Wyoming	$43,810
Oklahoma	$43,450
North Dakota	$42,980
Alabama	$41,740
Idaho	$40,490
Wisconsin	$40,310
Tennessee	$40,280
Georgia	$38,060
Utah	$37,960
Kansas	$37,930
Arkansas	$37,800
Minnesota	$37,690
Vermont	$37,070
West Virginia	$36,820
Maine	$36,750
New Mexico	$36,590
South Carolina	$36,300
North Carolina	$35,500
Kentucky	$33,520
Louisiana	$30,600
Mississippi	$30,370

What Tools do Forest Firefighters Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Forest Firefighters:

• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel

How to Become a Forest Firefighter

What kind of Forest Firefighter requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Forest Firefighters?

You May Also Be Interested In…

Career changers with experience as a Forest Firefighter sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

• Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons