Fire fighter vs fire equipment operator

The differences between fire fighters and fire equipment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fire fighter has an average salary of $56,792, which is higher than the $37,052 average annual salary of a fire equipment operator.

The top three skills for a fire fighter include CPR, public safety and non-emergency calls. The most important skills for a fire equipment operator are medical care, emergency situations, and fire prevention.

Fire fighter vs fire equipment operator overview

	Fire Fighter	Fire Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$56,792	$37,052
Hourly rate	$27.30	$17.81
Growth rate	6%	4%
Number of jobs	3,398	43,350
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 41%
Average age	49	39
Years of experience	8	-

Fire fighter vs fire equipment operator salary

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

	Fire Fighter	Fire Equipment Operator
Average salary	$56,792	$37,052
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $89,000	Between $23,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	East Chicago, IN	-
Highest paying state	Indiana	-
Best paying company	1 8 3 Lanes	-
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between fire fighter and fire equipment operator education

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

	Fire Fighter	Fire Equipment Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 41%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Fire Science And Protection
Most common college	-	-

Fire fighter vs fire equipment operator demographics

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

	Fire Fighter	Fire Equipment Operator
Average age	49	39
Gender ratio	Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1%	Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 1.9% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	3%

Differences between fire fighter and fire equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Fire fighter example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Administer medical care to injure people, providing CPR, first aid, as well as other emergency responses.
Task with testing SCBA, centrifugal pump systems, foam induction systems, structural gear inspections and HAZMAT equipment.
Cut and clear brush, dig trenches in order to create fire lines, using axes, chainsaws or shovels.
Maintain SCBA equipment and records.
Serve as paramedic on ALS transport ambulance.

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.

Fire fighter vs fire equipment operator skills

Common fire fighter skills

CPR, 7%
Public Safety, 7%
Non-Emergency Calls, 6%
Fire Prevention, 5%
Fire Suppression, 4%
Hazmat, 4%

Common fire equipment operator skills

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

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Protective Service Industry
Fire Fighter
Fire Fighter vs Fire Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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