Fire Protection Engineers
Overview
Introduction
Fire protection engineers use scientific and engineering principles to design fire prevention systems that protect people and structures from fire. They also inspect fire protection systems to ensure that they meet government safety regulations. Fire protection engineers are also known as fire prevention and protection engineers. There are 23,100 health and safety engineers (including fire protection engineers) in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Fire protection engineers earned median incomes of $119,822 in 2023, according to a compensation survey by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). They also received an additional $8,178 in bonuses, commissions, and other non-salary compensation. The SFPE received survey responses from participants in 93 countries; 67 percent of respondents were from North America. The SFPE says that t...
Work Environment
The work of fire protection engineers is varied and interesting. Fire protection projects can range from designing fire suppression systems for a cruise ship, to working on systems for a skyscraper or a shopping mall, to work on a system for a school or someone’s residence. Work settings can range from traditional offices, to laboratories, to construction sites or the scene of a fire. Many FPEs...
Outlook
Job opportunities for health and safety engineers (an occupational category that includes fire protection engineers) are projected to grow 5 percent (about as fast as the average for all careers) from 2023 to 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Those who are certified, have a master’s degree in fire protection engineering, and have extensive experience will have the best job prospe...
