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The differences between fire chiefs and captains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a fire chief, becoming a captain takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $52,161 average annual salary of a captain.
The top three skills for a fire chief include fire protection, emergency response and public safety. The most important skills for a captain are customer service, safety standards, and food preparation.
| Fire Chief | Captain | |
| Yearly salary | $69,961 | $52,161 |
| Hourly rate | $33.64 | $25.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 16,088 | 4,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 49 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
A Fire Chief's responsibility is to maintain the fire station's efficient response, the working order of all equipment, and all staff's readiness. They meet with the fire board to discuss the safety directives for the community. The Fire Chief's responsibility to the community is to ensure the area, provide a speedy response during emergencies, and offer the community the security they need against devastating fires. It is also required for them to have constant communication with the community and inform them of all policies relating to fire prevention.
Captains oversee the entire operations of a sea vessel, usually ships. Their main responsibility is to ensure that the vessel safely travels from point A to point B. They are expert navigators who manage the course of the vessel. Captains should also be familiar with the different equipment aboard the ship and should be able to use them effectively. They should know how to properly maintain the equipment on board and should also know how to do repairs. Captains also manage their ship's crew and oversee the crews' overall performance. They also manage the finances and other operations-related activities during the course of their travel. Captains should have good communication skills, quick decision-making skills, and expert navigation skills.
Fire chiefs and captains have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fire Chief | Captain | |
| Average salary | $69,961 | $52,161 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $121,000 | Between $31,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | CVR Energy | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a fire chief and a captain in terms of educational background:
| Fire Chief | Captain | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Fire Science And Protection | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between fire chiefs' and captains' demographics:
| Fire Chief | Captain | |
| Average age | 49 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |