Fire chief vs fire lieutenant

The differences between fire chiefs and fire lieutenants 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 fire lieutenant. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $56,705 average annual salary of a fire lieutenant.

The top three skills for a fire chief include fire protection, emergency response and public safety. The most important skills for a fire lieutenant are emergency situations, EMT, and life safety.

Fire chief vs fire lieutenant overview

	Fire Chief	Fire Lieutenant
Yearly salary	$69,961	$56,705
Hourly rate	$33.64	$27.26
Growth rate	6%	4%
Number of jobs	16,088	3,665
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 38%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	8	8

Fire chief vs fire lieutenant salary

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Lieutenant
Average salary	$69,961	$56,705
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $121,000	Between $39,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	CVR Energy	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between fire chief and fire lieutenant education

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Lieutenant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 38%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Fire Science And Protection
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Diego State University

Fire chief vs fire lieutenant demographics

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Lieutenant
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5%
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, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 2.3% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between fire chief and fire lieutenant 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.

Fire lieutenant example responsibilities.

Manage the combat logistics operations center's daily operations and ensure efficient information flow between internal and external organizations.
Apply lifesaving, firefighting, and prevention principles, practices, tools and techniques, and equipment to practical scenarios.
Evaluate firefighting methods and apparatus performance regarding new equipment and equipment utilize during emergency calls.
Render advanced paramedical care to injure or ill patients as required ensuring compliance with department regulations, protocol, and procedure.
Organize medication boxes/inventory and provide ALS care
Coordinate and synchronize intelligence gathering assets with artillery, mortar, and aviation systems in support of complex tactical operations.

Fire chief vs fire lieutenant skills

Common fire chief skills

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

Common fire lieutenant skills

Emergency Situations, 10%
EMT, 8%
Life Safety, 5%
Hazardous Materials, 5%
Fire Suppression, 4%
Hazmat, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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