Fire chief vs battalion fire chief

The differences between fire chiefs and battalion fire 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 fire chief. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $56,857 average annual salary of a battalion fire chief.

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

Fire chief vs battalion fire chief overview

	Fire Chief	Battalion Fire Chief
Yearly salary	$69,961	$56,857
Hourly rate	$33.64	$27.34
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	16,088	16,088
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 45%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	8	8

Fire chief vs battalion fire chief salary

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

	Fire Chief	Battalion Fire Chief
Average salary	$69,961	$56,857
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $121,000	Between $36,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	CVR Energy	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between fire chief and battalion fire chief education

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

	Fire Chief	Battalion Fire Chief
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 45%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Fire Science And Protection
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

Fire chief vs battalion fire chief demographics

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

	Fire Chief	Battalion Fire Chief
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
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, 5.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 2.3% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between fire chief and battalion fire 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 fire chief example responsibilities.

Manage the combat logistics operations center's daily operations and ensure efficient information flow between internal and external organizations.
Monitor communicable diseases to include tuberculosis, sexually transmit infections, and HIV.
Monitor communicable diseases to include tuberculosis, sexually transmit infections, and HIV.

Fire chief vs battalion fire 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 fire chief skills

Fire Protection, 15%
EMS, 12%
Incident Command, 10%
Hazardous Materials, 9%
Emergency Incidents, 9%
Life Safety, 7%

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Fire Chief
Fire Chief vs Battalion Fire Chief

Updated January 8, 2025

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