Fire fighter vs fire medic

The differences between fire fighters and fire medics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a fire fighter, becoming a fire medic takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a fire fighter has an average salary of $56,792, which is higher than the $52,882 average annual salary of a fire medic.

The top three skills for a fire fighter include CPR, public safety and non-emergency calls. The most important skills for a fire medic are medical services, hazardous materials, and fire suppression.

Fire fighter vs fire medic overview

	Fire Fighter	Fire Medic
Yearly salary	$56,792	$52,882
Hourly rate	$27.30	$25.42
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,398	4,392
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	8	4

Fire fighter vs fire medic salary

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

	Fire Fighter	Fire Medic
Average salary	$56,792	$52,882
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $89,000	Between $36,000 And $77,000
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 medic education

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

	Fire Fighter	Fire Medic
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Medical Technician
Most common college	-	-

Fire fighter vs fire medic demographics

Here are the differences between fire fighters' and fire medics' demographics:

	Fire Fighter	Fire Medic
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1%	Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3%
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, 6.0% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	18%

Differences between fire fighter and fire medic 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 medic example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Assist with IVs, oxygen administration, basic first aid and CPR.
Provide emergency care to the sick or injure individuals and perform firefighting duties, Haz-Mat/ICS response and confine space/high angle rescue skills
Determine ladder requirements, direct ladder placement, deploy personnel on ladders, and monitor ladder operations to ensure safety.
Machine gun range by implementing procedures to reduce the risk to medium, sourcing and distributing ammunition, equipment and facilities.
Implement and conduct an aggressive maintenance program, ensure adequate security measures and ammunition management are performed to standard.

Fire fighter vs fire medic skills

Common fire fighter skills

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

Common fire medic skills

Medical Services, 14%
Hazardous Materials, 10%
Fire Suppression, 10%
Emergency Response, 9%
Advanced Life Support, 7%
Emergency Services, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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