Fire chief vs battalion chief

The differences between fire chiefs and battalion chiefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a fire chief and a battalion chief. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $61,652 average annual salary of a battalion chief.

The top three skills for a fire chief include fire protection, emergency response and public safety. The most important skills for a battalion chief are emergency response, fire suppression, and incident command system.

Fire chief vs battalion chief overview

	Fire Chief	Battalion Chief
Yearly salary	$69,961	$61,652
Hourly rate	$33.64	$29.64
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	16,088	12,767
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	8	8

Fire chief vs battalion chief salary

Fire chiefs and battalion chiefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Chief	Battalion Chief
Average salary	$69,961	$61,652
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $121,000	Between $39,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	CVR Energy	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between fire chief and battalion chief education

There are a few differences between a fire chief and a battalion chief in terms of educational background:

	Fire Chief	Battalion Chief
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Fire Science And Protection
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	Stanford University

Fire chief vs battalion chief demographics

Here are the differences between fire chiefs' and battalion chiefs' demographics:

	Fire Chief	Battalion Chief
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7%
Race ratio	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%	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	7%	7%

Differences between fire chief and battalion chief duties and responsibilities

Fire chief example responsibilities.

Manage the combat logistics operations center's daily operations and ensure efficient information flow between internal and external organizations.
Determine appropriate control techniques and direct firefighting teams during numerous fire, hazardous material releases and medical emergencies.
Respond to fires, medical, HAZMAT, bombs and threat calls.
Maintain and inspect the SCBA equipment.
Conduct departmental assessments in accordance with DoD, standards.
Provide emergency medical care including first-aid and CPR to victims.

Battalion chief example responsibilities.

Manage the handling and disposal of over 2,000 pounds of hazmat and the disposal of over 5,000 pounds of hazardous waste.
Manage the combat logistics operations center's daily operations and ensure efficient information flow between internal and external organizations.
Participate in the administration and planning of a comprehensive fire prevention and firefighting rescue program.
Demonstrate expert knowledge of firefighting preparedness, suppression operations, incident management, fuels management, fire use and resource management.
Assist in teaching classes at the fire academy to new recruits and teach EMT to high school students.
Coordinate training with grind combat elements enablers in support of battalion operations.

Fire chief vs battalion chief skills

Common fire chief skills

Fire Protection, 10%
Emergency Response, 8%
Public Safety, 8%
Fire Service, 5%
Fire Suppression, 5%
Emergency Services, 4%

Common battalion chief skills

Emergency Response, 8%
Fire Suppression, 7%
Incident Command System, 7%
EMS, 6%
Fire Protection, 5%
Fire Service, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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