$Who Earns What

How much does a forest fire inspector make?

US Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists

Answer: A typical forest fire inspector in the United States makes $56,870 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$56,870

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 3,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$35,420
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$56,870
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$105,460
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

53 of 100
more than half

Forest fire inspector pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Forest fire inspector pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$35,420$56,870$105,460about 3,000

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, pay can differ by state and by employer. More experience, useful skills or certifications, and jobs with greater responsibility may bring higher pay; the hours worked also change total earnings.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$56,870
California$97,370
Utah$90,020
Louisiana$75,480
Oregon$73,530
Maine$68,310
Arkansas$43,310
Alabama$37,430
Mississippi$31,720

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a forest fire inspector do?

Enforce fire regulations, inspect forest for fire hazards, and recommend forest fire prevention or control measures. May report forest fires and weather conditions.

What's a typical day like?

They patrol forests and campsites, checking for fires, hazardous brush, dangerous weather, and unsafe campfires. They report risks, teach fire safety, maintain gear, and may put out small fires or guide crews at large ones.

How to get this job

In the U.S., a high school diploma is the usual minimum; forestry study and land-management experience can help, and some employers prefer a related college degree. Get a driver's license, check local certification rules, then learn on the job.

Vocational school or a few years' experience (preparation level 3 of 5)

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.

Did you know?

They may put out small fires themselves, but at a large wildfire they can direct wildland firefighters.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY