Fire captain demographics and statistics in the US
Fire captain demographics research summary. Zippia estimates fire captain demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our fire captain estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about fire captains after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 15,633 fire captains currently employed in the United States.
- 6.2% of all fire captains are women, while 93.8% are men.
- The average fire captain age is 48 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of fire captains is White (76.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.2%), Unknown (5.9%) and Black or African American (5.8%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 7% of all fire captains are LGBT.
- Fire captains are 49% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Fire captain demographics by:
Fire captain gender statistics
6.2% of fire captains are women and 93.8% of fire captains are men.
- Male, 93.8%
- Female, 6.2%
Fire captain gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 93.8% |
| Female | 6.2% |
Fire captain gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$69,949
Female income
$68,088
Fire captain gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in fire captain positions over time. Currently, 6.2% of fire captains are female.
Fire captain gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 91.69% | 8.31% |
| 2011 | 95.47% | 4.53% |
| 2012 | 95.09% | 4.91% |
| 2013 | 91.41% | 8.59% |
| 2014 | 92.31% | 7.69% |
| 2015 | 95.11% | 4.89% |
| 2016 | 93.66% | 6.34% |
| 2017 | 94.22% | 5.78% |
| 2018 | 92.07% | 7.93% |
| 2019 | 94.67% | 5.33% |
| 2020 | 93.15% | 6.85% |
| 2021 | 93.85% | 6.15% |
Fire captain related jobs gender ratio
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Captain | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Fire captain demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among fire captains is White, which makes up 76.9% of all fire captains. Comparatively, 8.2% of fire captains are Hispanic or Latino and 5.9% of fire captains are Unknown.
- White, 76.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.2%
- Unknown, 5.9%
- Black or African American, 5.8%
- Asian, 2.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Fire captain race
| Fire captain race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 76.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.2% |
| Unknown | 5.9% |
| Black or African American | 5.8% |
| Asian | 2.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Fire captain race and ethnicity over time
See how fire captain racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Fire captain race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.24% | 8.52% | 0.80% | 7.83% |
| 2011 | 81.09% | 7.65% | 0.50% | 7.42% |
| 2012 | 82.87% | 7.55% | 1.27% | 5.05% |
| 2013 | 81.92% | 6.55% | 1.24% | 6.91% |
| 2014 | 80.77% | 7.89% | 1.66% | 6.37% |
| 2015 | 81.70% | 6.05% | 0.65% | 8.29% |
| 2016 | 79.69% | 7.65% | 1.31% | 8.40% |
| 2017 | 81.60% | 6.56% | 1.09% | 6.92% |
| 2018 | 82.55% | 6.03% | 1.11% | 6.87% |
| 2019 | 83.07% | 5.66% | 0.76% | 6.40% |
| 2020 | 81.23% | 5.08% | 0.78% | 5.97% |
| 2021 | 76.86% | 5.77% | 2.26% | 8.18% |
Fire captain wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino fire captains have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White fire captains have the lowest average salary at $66,148.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $68,983 |
| White | $66,148 |
| Black or African American | $69,845 |
| Asian | $68,574 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $76,620 |
Average fire captain age
See how the average age of fire captains varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Fire captain age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 48 | |
| White | 50 | |
| Asian | 45 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 47.5 |
Fire captain age breakdown
The average age of fire captains is 40+ years years old, representing 89% of the fire captain population.
Fire captain age breakdown
| Fire Captain Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 89% |
| 30-40 years | 11% |
| 20-30 years | 0% |
Fire captain educational attainment
The most common degree for fire captains is associate degree, with 41% of fire captains earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 34% and bachelor's degree degree at 12%.
- Associate, 41%
- Bachelor's, 34%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Fire captains by degree level
| Fire captain degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 41% |
| Bachelor's | 34% |
| High School Diploma | 12% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Fire captain jobs you might like
Fire captain wage gap by degree level
According to the data, fire captains with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $81,808 annually. With a Associate degree, fire captains earn a median annual income of $69,574 compared to $61,838 for fire captains with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $61,838 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,808 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $69,574 |
Fire captain employment statistics
Most fire captains work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where fire captains work
Below, you can see the size of companies where fire captains work.
Fire captain jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 17% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Fire captain jobs by company type
Employees with the fire captain job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most fire captains prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Fire captain jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 11% |
| Private | 38% |
| Government | 49% |
Fire captain jobs by industry
The most common industries for fire captains are government, professional and manufacturing.
Fire captain industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 46% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Technology | 6% |
| Construction | 4% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Energy | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Education | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Fire captain turnover and employment statistics
Fire captain unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for fire captains between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Fire captain unemployment rate by year
| Year | Fire captain unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.07% |
| 2011 | 2.15% |
| 2012 | 1.93% |
| 2013 | 0.92% |
| 2014 | 1.21% |
| 2015 | 1.01% |
| 2016 | 0.57% |
| 2017 | 0.37% |
| 2018 | 0.79% |
| 2019 | 0.36% |
| 2020 | 0.24% |
| 2021 | 1.83% |
Average fire captain tenure
The average fire captain stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 926 fire captains resumes in Zippia's database.
Fire captain tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 6% |
| 1-2 years | 13% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 50% |
Fire captain LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of fire captains that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Captain | 6.87% | - |
| Museum Security Chief | 6.90% | 57,362 |
| Chief Jailer | 10.94% | 12,775 |
| Correctional Supervisor | 18.30% | 2,092 |
Similar fire captain jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Museum Security Chief | 6.90% | 57,362 |
| Chief Jailer | 10.94% | 12,775 |
| Correctional Supervisor | 18.30% | 2,092 |
Foreign languages spoken by fire captains
The most common foreign language among fire captains is Spanish at 42.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 14.3% and Carrier is the third-most popular at 14.3%.
- Spanish, 42.9%
- Chinese, 14.3%
- Carrier, 14.3%
- Filipino, 14.3%
- Tagalog, 14.3%
Fire captain languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 42.9% |
| Chinese | 14.3% |
| Carrier | 14.3% |
| Filipino | 14.3% |
| Tagalog | 14.3% |
