Cannon fire direction specialist vs fire observer

The differences between cannon fire direction specialists and fire observers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a cannon fire direction specialist and a fire observer. Additionally, a fire observer has an average salary of $52,035, which is higher than the $49,347 average annual salary of a cannon fire direction specialist.

The top three skills for a cannon fire direction specialist include combat, platoon and intelligence data. The most important skills for a fire observer are SME, fire training, and air support.

Cannon fire direction specialist vs fire observer overview

	Cannon Fire Direction Specialist	Fire Observer
Yearly salary	$49,347	$52,035
Hourly rate	$23.72	$25.02
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	4,288	3,736
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	4

Cannon fire direction specialist vs fire observer salary

Cannon fire direction specialists and fire observers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cannon Fire Direction Specialist	Fire Observer
Average salary	$49,347	$52,035
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $74,000	Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between cannon fire direction specialist and fire observer education

There are a few differences between a cannon fire direction specialist and a fire observer in terms of educational background:

	Cannon Fire Direction Specialist	Fire Observer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Cannon fire direction specialist vs fire observer demographics

Here are the differences between cannon fire direction specialists' and fire observers' demographics:

	Cannon Fire Direction Specialist	Fire Observer
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7%	Male, 98.3% Female, 1.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%
LGBT Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between cannon fire direction specialist and fire observer duties and responsibilities

Cannon fire direction specialist example responsibilities.

Operate FDS, AFATDS, and MLRS communications equipment.
Maintain and detect hardware and software faults on AFATDS.
Lead, supervise, and serve as a member of a MLRS fire direction center.
Operate communication systems FDS/AFATDS and MLRS communication equipment.
Obtain combat training and specialize in military fire direction.
Record fire mission relate information and maintain ammunition status.

Fire observer example responsibilities.

Assist in taking patient medical history and managing clinical patients and participate in medical team discussions regarding patient treatment plans.
Assist in taking patient medical history and managing clinical patients and participate in medical team discussions regarding patient treatment plans.
Familiarize myself with immunization schedule, coding for pediatrics.

Cannon fire direction specialist vs fire observer skills

Common cannon fire direction specialist skills

Combat, 17%
Platoon, 11%
Intelligence Data, 10%
Voice Radio, 8%
Voice Equipment, 8%
Ammunition, 6%

Common fire observer skills

SME, 54%
Fire Training, 34%
Air Support, 7%
Computer System, 6%

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Cannon Fire Direction Specialist
Cannon Fire Direction Specialist vs Fire Observer

Updated January 8, 2025

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