Fire equipment operator vs equipment operator

The differences between fire equipment operators and equipment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fire equipment operator has an average salary of $37,052, which is higher than the $31,739 average annual salary of an equipment operator.

The top three skills for a fire equipment operator include medical care, emergency situations and fire prevention. The most important skills for an equipment operator are CDL, loaders, and asphalt.

Fire equipment operator vs equipment operator overview

	Fire Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$37,052	$31,739
Hourly rate	$17.81	$15.26
Growth rate	4%	5%
Number of jobs	43,350	62,473
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	39	45
Years of experience	-	4

Fire equipment operator vs equipment operator salary

Fire equipment operators and equipment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator
Average salary	$37,052	$31,739
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $57,000	Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Indianapolis, IN
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Nelsen Partners
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between fire equipment operator and equipment operator education

There are a few differences between a fire equipment operator and an equipment operator in terms of educational background:

	Fire Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fire equipment operator vs equipment operator demographics

Here are the differences between fire equipment operators' and equipment operators' demographics:

	Fire Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator
Average age	39	45
Gender ratio	Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1%	Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 1.9% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	3%	2%

Differences between fire equipment operator and equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Fire equipment operator example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Participate in, and conduct firefighting training.
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.

Equipment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Operate track loader, dozer, excavator, track skid loader, rubber tire loader, and haul truck as assigned.
Operate heavy equipment including loaders and rollers.
Operate bulldozers, compactors, and scrapers for residential land development
Work include backhoe operation, equipment operation, landscaping and snow removal
Operate backhoes and trench diggers.

Fire equipment operator vs equipment operator skills

Common fire equipment operator skills

Medical Care, 22%
Emergency Situations, 22%
Fire Prevention, 19%
Firefighting, 14%
Fire Apparatus, 11%
CPR, 7%

Common equipment operator skills

CDL, 10%
Loaders, 7%
Asphalt, 5%
Backhoe, 5%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 4%

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Protective Service Industry
Fire Equipment Operator
Fire Equipment Operator vs Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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