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Fire Science

Types of Degrees Fire Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Fire Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	694
Associate’s Degree	2,120
Bachelor’s Degree	261
Master’s Degree	5,968

What Fire Science Majors Need to Know

Programs in Fire Science emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Fire Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Fire Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Fire Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Fire Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Fire Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Fire Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Fire incident reporting systems	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Mapping software	Map creation software	—
Microsoft Windows Server	Application server software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Fire Science graduates include:

• Fire Prevention Officer
• Wildland Firefighter
• Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
• Environmental Protection Fire Control Officer
• Range Examiner
• District Ranger
• Fire Observer
• Look Out Tower Fire Watcher
• Fire Warden
• Fire Management Technician
• Fire Prevention Technician
• Fire Tower Keeper
• Forest Officer
• Fire Ranger
• Forest Fire Officer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Fire Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	29.2%
Some college courses	20.1%
Postsecondary certificate	18.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	15.0%
Bachelor’s degree	10.9%
Less than a high school diploma	4.2%
Master’s degree	0.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%
First professional degree	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Fire Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 88.2% of Fire Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,161	11.8%
Men	8,702	88.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Fire Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,407	65.0%
Asian	145	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1,940	19.7%
Black or African American	480	4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	72	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	43	0.4%
Two or More Races	371	3.8%
Race Unknown	379	3.8%
International Students	26	0.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Fire Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Fire Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$63,281
4 years	$64,817
5 years	$72,249

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $72,249 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Fire Science Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Fire Science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	19	10
Bachelor’s	7	2
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Fire Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Fire Science graduates earn a median of $64,817 four years after completion — roughly 71% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Fire Protection	43.02
Fire Prevention and Safety Technology/Technician	43.0201
Fire Protection, Other	43.0299
Fire Services Administration	43.0202
Fire Systems Technology	43.0204
Fire/Arson Investigation and Prevention	43.0205
Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation	43.0206

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.