How To Become An Arson Investigator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an arson investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average arson investigator salary is $52,648. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an fire science and protection major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become an arson investigator. Arson investigators with a Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 1,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreArson InvestigatorUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,648

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.81%

Asian 1.20%

Black or African American 5.89%

Hispanic or Latino 12.03%

Unknown 7.26%

White 71.80%

Gender

female 11.76%

male 88.24%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Key steps to become an arson investigator

Explore arson investigator education requirements

Most common arson investigator degrees

Bachelor's

48.9 %

Associate

31.9 %

High School Diploma

8.5 %

Start to develop specific arson investigator skills

Skills	Percentages
Fire Protection	34.95%
Law Enforcement	25.89%
Fire Investigations	18.35%
Fire	7.26%
Arson	7.26%

Complete relevant arson investigator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New arson investigators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an arson investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real arson investigator resumes.

Research arson investigator duties and responsibilities

Manage repair processes in a timely fashion to mitigate claims cost and reduce litigation exposure.
Consider an expert in fire and arson investigation in courtroom testimony resulting in many successful prosecutions.
Patrol specific area on foot, horseback, and motorize conveyance.
Present public education programs relate to arson.

Prepare your arson investigator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your arson investigator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an arson investigator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable arson investigator resume templates

Build a professional arson investigator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your arson investigator resume.