Fire Investigators
Overview
Introduction
Fire investigators analyze the cause, origin, and circumstances of fires involving loss of life and considerable property damage; interrogate witnesses and prepare investigation reports; and arrest and seek prosecution of arsonists. They also investigate explosions. They work for local fire departments, state fire marshal’s offices, and private companies. Approximately 13,000 fire investigators and inspectors are employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Fire investigators and inspectors earned median annual salaries of $62,510 in May 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Earnings ranged from $36,400 to $95,330. As in all occupations, the experts demand higher wages, so private sector investigators’ earnings can go much higher (to the $120,000+ range) if they work as national expert witnesses.
Employers offer a variety of bene...
Work Environment
There is no average workday for investigators. They may spend days at a time in the field conducting scene surveys and interviewing involved parties and then spend the next several days or weeks in the office preparing the reports. Whenever a suspicious fire occurs, they must be ready to jump into action—whether at night, on weekends, or during a holiday. Fire scenes can be very dangerous and u...
Outlook
Job opportunities for fire investigators are expected to grow about as fast as the average for all careers through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Although competition for jobs is strong, there will be a need for fire investigators because the U.S. population continues to grow and there will always be buildings to inspect and fires to investigate. The DOL predicts that th...