Best degree programs for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists, ranked by enrollment
3 college programs and 300 schools train Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $56,870 median wage, 2,780 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
3 college programs at 300 schools train forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists, graduating 10,755 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Fire Science/Fire-fighting. The job pays a median of $56,870 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
Enforce fire regulations, inspect forest for fire hazards, and recommend forest fire prevention or control measures. May report forest fires and weather conditions.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
3 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 43.0203 | 10,359 | 96.3% | 275 | $48,952 | $12,750 |
| 2 | CIP 03.0208 | 222 | 2.1% | 21 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
| 3 | CIP 43.0206 | 174 | 1.6% | 17 | $48,952 | $12,750 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 714 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 33% | $15,554 | — |
| 2 | East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 315 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 37% | — | — |
| 3 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 241 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 46% | — | — |
| 4 | Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 219 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 32% | — | — |
| 5 | Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 210 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 41% | — | — |
| 6 | Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 200 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 21% | — | — |
| 7 | Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 178 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 34% | — | — |
| 8 | Austin Community College District Austin, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 167 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 20% | — | — |
| 9 | Shasta College Redding, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 154 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 23% | — | — |
| 10 | Valencia College Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 148 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 48% | — | — |
| 11 | Pueblo Community College Pueblo, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 144 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 31% | — | — |
| 12 | Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 137 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 37% | — | — |
| 13 | Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson, KS Public · 1 feeder programs | 131 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 53% | — | — |
| 14 | First Coast Technical College Saint Augustine, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 124 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 77% | — | — |
| 15 | Houston City College Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 123 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 17% | — | — |
| 16 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs | 120 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 40% | — | — |
| 17 | Apollo Career Center Lima, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 119 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 59% | — | — |
| 18 | Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 118 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 41% | — | — |
| 19 | Madisonville Community College Madisonville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 114 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 49% | — | — |
| 20 | Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 114 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 34% | — | — |
| 21 | William T McFatter Technical College Davie, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 114 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 66% | — | — |
| 22 | Clark State College Springfield, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 106 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 22% | — | — |
| 23 | North Central Texas College Gainesville, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 102 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 35% | — | — |
| 24 | Columbus State Community College Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 101 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 28% | — | — |
| 25 | Rio Hondo College Whittier, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 101 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 25% | — | — |
| 26 | Suncoast Technical College Sarasota, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 100 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 50% | — | — |
| 27 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 98 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 28% | — | — |
| 28 | San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 94 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 30% | — | — |
| 29 | Tyler Junior College Tyler, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 93 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 27% | — | — |
| 30 | Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 91 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 41% | — | — |
| 31 | Elgin Community College Elgin, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 86 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 41% | — | — |
| 32 | Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 83 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 39% | — | — |
| 33 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 83 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 38% | — | — |
| 34 | Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 80 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 36% | — | — |
| 35 | Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 79 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 43% | — | — |
| 36 | Florida Gateway College Lake City, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 78 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 54% | — | — |
| 37 | Hillsborough College Tampa, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 77 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 34% | — | — |
| 38 | Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 77 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 37% | — | — |
| 39 | Eastern Florida State College Melbourne, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 76 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 52% | — | — |
| 40 | Marion Technical College Ocala, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 76 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 80% | — | — |
| 41 | Lake Technical College Eustis, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 72 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 47% | — | — |
| 42 | Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 72 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 29% | — | — |
| 43 | Palomar College San Marcos, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 72 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 38% | — | — |
| 44 | Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 71 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 11% | — | — |
| 45 | Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center Choctaw, OK Public · 1 feeder programs | 71 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 92% | — | — |
| 46 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 70 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 91% | — | 24% |
| 47 | Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 70 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 39% | — | — |
| 48 | McHenry County College Crystal Lake, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 66 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 37% | — | — |
| 49 | Knox County Career Center Mount Vernon, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 64 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 100% | — | — |
| 50 | Aims Community College Greeley, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 62 | Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 40% | — | — |
What forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $51,690 | 100 | 0.54× | 32 | 2,349 |
| California | $97,370 | 480 | 1.48× | 31 | 1,362 |
| Alabamalimited | $37,430 | 40 | 1.19× | 2 | 721 |
| Colorado | $50,170 | 210 | 4.03× | 10 | 568 |
| Arizona | $58,570 | 40 | 0.71× | 11 | 219 |
| Oklahoma | $61,700 | 310 | 10.21× | 8 | 197 |
| Utahmoderate | $90,020 | 50 | 1.60× | 4 | 94 |
| Georgia | $48,010 | 350 | 4.04× | 8 | 76 |
| Maine | $68,310 | 60 | 4.82× | 6 | 71 |
| Oregon | $73,530 | 140 | 3.87× | 8 | 53 |
| Arkansaslimited | $43,310 | 140 | 5.88× | 2 | 45 |
| Idahomoderate | $47,050 | 50 | 2.95× | 4 | 41 |
| Mississippilimited | $31,720 | 100 | 4.58× | 1 | 25 |
| New Jerseylimited | $57,380 | 140 | 1.82× | 1 | 25 |
| Louisianalimited | $75,480 | 90 | 2.66× | 2 | 13 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.
- Conduct wildland firefighting training.
- Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone.
- Direct crews working on firelines during forest fires.
- Locate forest fires on area maps, using azimuth sighters and known landmarks.
- Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes.
- Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena.
- Compile and report meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity, and types of cloud formations.
Skills
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Speaking3.8
- Active Listening3.6
- Monitoring3.4
- Writing3.1
- Learning Strategies3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Active Learning3.0
Knowledge areas
- Administration and Management4.0
- Customer and Personal Service3.8
- Education and Training3.7
- Personnel and Human Resources3.7
- Public Safety and Security3.7
- Law and Government3.5
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
- Oral Comprehension3.9
- Near Vision3.6
- Deductive Reasoning3.6
- Inductive Reasoning3.5
Core activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.5
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.5
- Performing General Physical Activities4.4
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.4
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.2
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.2
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Forest Fire Inspector
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0208Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
- 43.0203Fire Science/Fire-fighting
- 43.0206Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Forest Fire Inspector?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Fire Science/Fire-fighting, which awarded 10,359 degrees in 2024-25, 96.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Forest Fire Inspector?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Fire Protection, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy. Together they graduate about 10,755 people a year.
How much do forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists earn?+
The median is $56,870 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $35,420 at the 10th percentile to $105,460 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists growing?+
BLS projects a +14.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
300 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Forest Officer, Forest Patrolman, Fire Management Officer, Fire Prevention Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 33-2022.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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