Fire chief vs deputy

The differences between fire chiefs and deputies can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $53,682 average annual salary of a deputy.

The top three skills for a fire chief include fire protection, emergency response and public safety. The most important skills for a deputy are patrol, public safety, and transport inmates.

Fire chief vs deputy overview

	Fire Chief	Deputy
Yearly salary	$69,961	$53,682
Hourly rate	$33.64	$25.81
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	16,088	56,150
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	49	40
Years of experience	8	-

What does a fire chief do?

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.

What does a deputy do?

The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat. There are also instances when a deputy must serve court documents, transport detainees or suspected criminals, and monitor courtrooms. Furthermore, a deputy reports to higher-ranking officers such as a sheriff.

Fire chief vs deputy salary

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

	Fire Chief	Deputy
Average salary	$69,961	$53,682
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $121,000	Between $31,000 And $90,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	CVR Energy	Barclays
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between fire chief and deputy education

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

	Fire Chief	Deputy
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	California State University - Bakersfield

Fire chief vs deputy demographics

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

	Fire Chief	Deputy
Average age	49	40
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 13.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 3.5% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between fire chief and deputy 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.

Deputy example responsibilities.

Hire and manage credit officers responsible for Citigroup's new commodity derivatives business in Houston.
Service warrants, subpoenas and evictions, supervise interstate extraditions on special assignments.
POST certify, weapons certification, first aid and CPR certification.
Take part in ongoing training and firearms qualifications provide by the department in accordance with state regulations.
Restrain, secure, or control offenders, using chemical agents, firearms, or other weapons of force as necessary.
Evaluate the performance of assign firefighting personnel.

Fire chief vs deputy skills

Common fire chief skills

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

Common deputy skills

Patrol, 20%
Public Safety, 9%
Transport Inmates, 6%
Emergency Situations, 5%
CPR, 5%
Federal Laws, 5%

Fire Chief vs. similar jobs

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Fire Officer responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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