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Fire Services Administration

Types of Degrees Fire Services Administration Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	41
Associate’s Degree	91
Bachelor’s Degree	1,383
Master’s Degree	172
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Fire Services Administration Majors Need to Know

Studies in Fire Services Administration develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Fire Services Administration graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Fire Services Administration emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Fire Services Administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Fire Services Administration careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Fire Services Administration graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Fire Services Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Fire Services Administration graduates include:

• Division Chief
• Compliance Director
• Labor Union Business Representative
• Field Services Director
• Director of Consumer Affairs
• Oil Well Drilling Manager
• Transcription Manager
• Bowling Alley Manager
• Lottery Manager
• Dance Studio Manager
• Car Wash Manager
• Director of Entertainment
• Racing Manager
• Health Information Manager
• Branch Office Manager

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	50.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	16.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	8.6%
Postsecondary certificate	7.8%
Master’s degree	7.3%
Some college courses	4.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.7%
Doctoral degree	1.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Fire Services Administration?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 91.4% of Fire Services Administration degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	147	8.6%
Men	1,562	91.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,274	74.5%
Asian	13	0.8%
Hispanic or Latino	108	6.3%
Black or African American	93	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	32	1.9%
Race Unknown	163	9.5%
International Students	11	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Fire Services Administration Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Fire Services Administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 Services Administration Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Fire Services Administration. 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	11	4
Bachelor’s	17	5
Master’s	3	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 Services Administration Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Fire Services Administration 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 Science/Fire-fighting	43.0203
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.