Firefighters

Overview

Firefighters has a national median salary of $59,280 per year, with +3.7% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary certificate as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.

Work Values

• Support
• Relationships
• Achievement

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
• Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injured persons or provide emergency medical care such as basic or advanced life support.
• Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
• Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
• Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.

Work Activities

• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Getting Information
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Documenting/Recording Information

Detailed Work Activities

• Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary certificate as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a bachelor's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Bachelor's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a postsecondary certificate.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Firefighters:

Video Resources