Fire chief vs fire officer

The differences between fire chiefs and fire officers 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 officer. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $52,547 average annual salary of a fire officer.

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

Fire chief vs fire officer overview

	Fire Chief	Fire Officer
Yearly salary	$69,961	$52,547
Hourly rate	$33.64	$25.26
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	16,088	58,896
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	8	8

Fire chief vs fire officer salary

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Officer
Average salary	$69,961	$52,547
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $121,000	Between $34,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Dearborn, MI
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	CVR Energy	Mta
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between fire chief and fire officer education

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Officer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Fire chief vs fire officer demographics

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Officer
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%
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, 5.5% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 2.2% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between fire chief and fire officer 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 officer example responsibilities.

Achieve advance levels of Fire/EMS management certification.
Inspect new and operating facilities for NFPA fire code regulation and compliance.
Ensure NFPA and OSHA codes are kept current to ensure facility compliance with industry standards.
Research, develop, and present numerous proposals for high-level HAZMAT equipment for local and countywide use.
Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to those injure.
Identify and propose portable firefighting equipment requirements on institutions and public structures.

Fire chief vs fire officer 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 officer skills

Incident Command, 14%
Fire Safety, 12%
Medical Emergencies, 10%
Combat, 6%
CPR, 6%
Personnel Management, 6%

Fire Chief vs. similar jobs

Fire Chief related careers

Fire Chief related jobs

What similar roles do

Fire Officer responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs