Fire assistant vs fire fighter

The differences between fire assistants and fire fighters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a fire assistant, becoming a fire fighter takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a fire fighter has an average salary of $56,792, which is higher than the $51,429 average annual salary of a fire assistant.

The top three skills for a fire assistant include fire safety, fire protection and ladders. The most important skills for a fire fighter are CPR, public safety, and non-emergency calls.

Fire assistant vs fire fighter overview

	Fire Assistant	Fire Fighter
Yearly salary	$51,429	$56,792
Hourly rate	$24.73	$27.30
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,490	3,398
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	8

Fire assistant vs fire fighter salary

Fire assistants and fire fighters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Assistant	Fire Fighter
Average salary	$51,429	$56,792
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $77,000	Between $35,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	-	East Chicago, IN
Highest paying state	-	Indiana
Best paying company	-	1 8 3 Lanes
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between fire assistant and fire fighter education

There are a few differences between a fire assistant and a fire fighter in terms of educational background:

	Fire Assistant	Fire Fighter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Fire Science And Protection
Most common college	Stanford University	-

Fire assistant vs fire fighter demographics

Here are the differences between fire assistants' and fire fighters' demographics:

	Fire Assistant	Fire Fighter
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6%	Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 2.3% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	18%	7%

Differences between fire assistant and fire fighter duties and responsibilities

Fire assistant example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Conduct semi-annual training to all hospital personnel in fire extinguisher usage in accordance with NFPA standards.
Maintain databases, profiling require NFPA and OSHA inspections for review by management and outside agencies.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Coordinate and synchronize intelligence gathering assets with artillery, mortar, and aviation systems in support of complex tactical operations.

Fire fighter example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Administer medical care to injure people, providing CPR, first aid, as well as other emergency responses.
Task with testing SCBA, centrifugal pump systems, foam induction systems, structural gear inspections and HAZMAT equipment.
Cut and clear brush, dig trenches in order to create fire lines, using axes, chainsaws or shovels.
Maintain SCBA equipment and records.
Serve as paramedic on ALS transport ambulance.

Fire assistant vs fire fighter skills

Common fire assistant skills

Fire Safety, 15%
Fire Protection, 14%
Ladders, 14%
NFPA, 10%
Emergency Operations, 10%
Fire Prevention, 7%

Common fire fighter skills

CPR, 7%
Public Safety, 7%
Non-Emergency Calls, 6%
Fire Prevention, 5%
Fire Suppression, 4%
Hazmat, 4%