How much do Fire Inspectors and Investigators make?
Fire Inspectors and Investigators earn a median annual salary of $75,920 in the United States, which works out to roughly $36.50 per hour for full-time work. Most earn between $46,530 at the entry level and $118,750 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $58,690 and $95,120 a year.
That is $14,530 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Fire Inspectors and Investigators salary range by percentile
Half of all Fire Inspectors and Investigators earn between $58,690 and $95,120 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $46,530 | $22.37 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $58,690 | $28.22 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $75,920 | $36.50 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $95,120 | $45.73 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $118,750 | $57.09 |
Highest-paying states for Fire Inspectors and Investigators
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Washington leads the country for Fire Inspectors and Investigators pay at $122,900 a year, followed by Oregon ($115,080) and California ($99,230). At the other end, Oklahoma posts the lowest median at $37,320 — a gap of $85,580 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $122,900 | $59.09 | +62% |
| 2 | Oregon | $115,080 | $55.33 | +52% |
| 3 | California | $99,230 | $47.71 | +31% |
| 4 | Maryland | $98,730 | $47.47 | +30% |
| 5 | Nevada | $93,450 | $44.93 | +23% |
Fire Inspectors and Investigators salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 43 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 14,000 people work as Fire Inspectors and Investigators in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $78,670 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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Related salaries
Other protective service roles with similar pay.