SOC 33-2021 · Protective Service Occupations

Fire Inspectors and Investigators

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries

U.S. median annual wage$75,920

U.S. median hourly wage$36.50

U.S. employment13,800

Nationally, fire inspectors and investigators earned a median of $75,920 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 13,800 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.

National pay distribution

Pay by state

Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

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Fire Inspectors and Investigators: pay and employment by state
State
Washington	$122,900	$59.09	380	0.1
Oregon	$115,080	$55.33	Not published	Not published
California	$99,230	$47.71	1,350	0.1
Maryland	$98,730	$47.46	270	0.1
Nevada	$93,450	$44.93	190	0.1
Colorado	$85,750	$41.23	Not published	Not published
Minnesota	$84,410	$40.58	230	0.1
Texas	$82,390	$39.61	1,030	0.1
Iowa	$81,860	$39.35	30	0.0
Massachusetts	$81,140	$39.01	200	0.1
Connecticut	$80,490	$38.70	420	0.2
North Dakota	$80,320	$38.61	40	0.1
Alabama	$78,110	$37.55	40	0.0
Rhode Island	$78,100	$37.55	50	0.1
Michigan	$77,460	$37.24	250	0.1
Missouri	$77,240	$37.13	110	0.0
Nebraska	$76,770	$36.91	60	0.1
Florida	$75,660	$36.38	1,060	0.1
New Hampshire	$75,230	$36.17	50	0.1
Arizona	$74,780	$35.95	240	0.1
New York	$73,920	$35.54	1,200	0.1
Indiana	$73,340	$35.26	200	0.1
Idaho	$72,810	$35.01	30	0.0
Utah	$72,760	$34.98	60	0.0
Virginia	$70,460	$33.88	100	0.0
North Carolina	$66,820	$32.12	870	0.2
Wisconsin	$66,600	$32.02	160	0.1
Louisiana	$64,820	$31.16	80	0.0
New Mexico	$64,680	$31.09	160	0.2
Georgia	$64,550	$31.04	300	0.1
Kansas	$64,290	$30.91	90	0.1
Tennessee	$63,400	$30.48	390	0.1
Illinois	$62,400	$30.00	440	0.1
South Carolina	$61,890	$29.76	110	0.0
New Jersey	$60,100	$28.90	1,290	0.3
Ohio	$59,280	$28.50	520	0.1
Pennsylvania	$59,080	$28.41	280	0.0
Maine	$58,240	$28.00	Not published	Not published
Arkansas	$57,990	$27.88	40	0.0
Kentucky	$55,970	$26.91	100	0.1
Mississippi	$55,260	$26.57	140	0.1
West Virginia	$52,490	$25.24	70	0.1
Oklahoma	$37,320	$17.94	160	0.1

Pay by metro area

All 86 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

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Fire Inspectors and Investigators: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$159,220	$76.55	40	0.0
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$129,410	$62.22	270	0.1
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$127,920	$61.50	210	0.1
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$119,780	$57.59	Not published	Not published
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$107,690	$51.78	100	0.1
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$99,860	$48.01	70	0.2
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$99,660	$47.92	30	0.2
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$99,580	$47.88	270	0.2
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$98,730	$47.46	220	0.2
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$98,150	$47.19	50	0.2
Fresno, CA	$98,090	$47.16	30	0.1
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$97,250	$46.76	80	0.1
Reno, NV	$94,750	$45.55	40	0.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$94,690	$45.52	290	0.1
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$94,140	$45.26	Not published	Not published
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$93,450	$44.93	130	0.1
New Haven, CT	$93,430	$44.92	60	0.2
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$88,540	$42.57	Not published	Not published
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$88,260	$42.43	350	0.1
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$87,630	$42.13	110	0.0
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$86,830	$41.74	80	0.4
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$86,630	$41.65	110	0.1
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	$86,290	$41.49	40	0.1
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$84,410	$40.58	200	0.1
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$83,410	$40.10	130	0.0
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$82,640	$39.73	80	0.2
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$82,390	$39.61	410	0.1
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$82,280	$39.56	80	0.1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$80,510	$38.71	50	0.0
St. Louis, MO-IL	$80,340	$38.62	30	0.0
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$79,700	$38.32	140	0.1
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	$78,760	$37.86	50	0.4
Baton Rouge, LA	$78,530	$37.76	40	0.1
Kansas City, MO-KS	$78,470	$37.73	60	0.1
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$78,150	$37.57	40	0.1
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	$78,100	$37.55	50	0.2
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$77,730	$37.37	50	0.1
Naples-Marco Island, FL	$77,230	$37.13	30	0.2
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$77,160	$37.10	140	0.1
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$77,120	$37.08	90	0.1
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$76,740	$36.89	260	0.2
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$76,550	$36.80	130	0.2
Springfield, MA	$76,460	$36.76	40	0.2
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	$76,370	$36.71	40	0.1
Tucson, AZ	$76,350	$36.71	30	0.1
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$75,580	$36.34	160	0.1
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$75,470	$36.28	40	0.1
Syracuse, NY	$74,740	$35.93	30	0.1
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$73,540	$35.36	40	0.1
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$73,440	$35.31	120	0.1
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$73,140	$35.16	170	0.1
Waterbury-Shelton, CT	$72,990	$35.09	60	0.4
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$72,760	$34.98	40	0.0
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$72,290	$34.76	70	0.3
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$71,070	$34.17	210	0.1
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$68,650	$33.00	50	0.0
Santa Fe, NM	$68,140	$32.76	50	0.8
Toledo, OH	$66,540	$31.99	40	0.1
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$65,710	$31.59	1,720	0.2
Lincoln, NE	$65,620	$31.55	40	0.2
Rochester, NY	$64,990	$31.25	70	0.1
Jacksonville, FL	$64,090	$30.81	40	0.1
Winston-Salem, NC	$63,950	$30.75	50	0.2
Columbus, OH	$63,460	$30.51	150	0.1
Albuquerque, NM	$62,800	$30.19	70	0.2
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$62,400	$30.00	350	0.1
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$62,180	$29.89	40	0.1
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS	$61,660	$29.64	Not published	Not published
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$59,080	$28.41	330	0.1
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$58,720	$28.23	30	0.1
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	$57,710	$27.75	40	0.1
Cleveland, OH	$57,590	$27.69	80	0.1
Jackson, MS	$56,370	$27.10	40	0.1
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	$56,270	$27.06	50	0.2
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$55,930	$26.89	80	0.5
Akron, OH	$54,350	$26.13	50	0.1
Charleston, WV	$49,100	$23.61	30	0.3
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	$48,060	$23.11	40	0.1
Portland-South Portland, ME	$45,230	$21.74	Not published	Not published
Wilmington, NC	$45,100	$21.68	80	0.4
Wichita, KS	$44,440	$21.36	30	0.1
Oklahoma City, OK	$37,320	$17.94	110	0.2
Pittsburgh, PA	$35,790	$17.21	Not published	Not published
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	Not published	Not published	60	0.1
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	Not published	Not published	30	0.1
Madison, WI	Not published	Not published	40	0.1

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.