Fire chief vs fire supervisor

The differences between fire chiefs and fire supervisors 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 supervisor. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $54,109 average annual salary of a fire supervisor.

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

Fire chief vs fire supervisor overview

	Fire Chief	Fire Supervisor
Yearly salary	$69,961	$54,109
Hourly rate	$33.64	$26.01
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	16,088	4,243
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 32%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	8	8

Fire chief vs fire supervisor salary

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Supervisor
Average salary	$69,961	$54,109
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $121,000	Between $34,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	CVR Energy	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between fire chief and fire supervisor education

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Supervisor
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 32%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Business
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	Stanford University

Fire chief vs fire supervisor demographics

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

	Fire Chief	Fire Supervisor
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%
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, 5.7% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 2.3% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between fire chief and fire supervisor 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 supervisor example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Coordinate and synchronize intelligence gathering assets with artillery, mortar, and aviation systems in support of complex tactical operations.

Fire chief vs fire supervisor 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 supervisor skills

Fire Protection, 37%
Fire Safety, 24%
Emergency Situations, 12%
Fire Prevention, 10%
Fire Hazards, 4%
EMS, 3%

Fire Chief vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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