Fire fighter vs rescue worker

The differences between fire fighters and rescue workers 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 $25,681 average annual salary of a rescue worker.

The top three skills for a fire fighter include CPR, public safety and non-emergency calls. The most important skills for a rescue worker are CPR, , and .

Fire fighter vs rescue worker overview

	Fire Fighter	Rescue Worker
Yearly salary	$56,792	$25,681
Hourly rate	$27.30	$12.35
Growth rate	6%	4%
Number of jobs	3,398	22,999
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	49	26
Years of experience	8	-

Fire fighter vs rescue worker salary

Fire fighters and rescue workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Fighter	Rescue Worker
Average salary	$56,792	$25,681
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $89,000	Between $15,000 And $41,000
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 rescue worker education

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

	Fire Fighter	Rescue Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fire fighter vs rescue worker demographics

Here are the differences between fire fighters' and rescue workers' demographics:

	Fire Fighter	Rescue Worker
Average age	49	26
Gender ratio	Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1%	Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8%
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, 4.2% Unknown, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 3.8% White, 74.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between fire fighter and rescue worker 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.

Rescue worker example responsibilities.

Create and manage Facebook pages and advertising for both rescues.
Obtain USAR technician level certifications and pump operator certifications.Skills UsedSupervisory skills, prehospital skills, FTO and preceptor skills.
General maintenance such as but not limit to HVAC maintenance/repair, electrical maintenance/repair, minor plumbing maintenance/repair.

Fire fighter vs rescue worker skills

Common fire fighter skills

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

Common rescue worker skills

CPR, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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