Fire fighter vs wildland fire fighter

The differences between fire fighters and wildland fire fighters 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 $51,848 average annual salary of a wildland fire fighter.

The top three skills for a fire fighter include CPR, public safety and non-emergency calls. The most important skills for a wildland fire fighter are fire safety, hand tools, and DIG.

Fire fighter vs wildland fire fighter overview

	Fire Fighter	Wildland Fire Fighter
Yearly salary	$56,792	$51,848
Hourly rate	$27.30	$24.93
Growth rate	6%	4%
Number of jobs	3,398	3,393
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	49	39
Years of experience	8	-

Fire fighter vs wildland fire fighter salary

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

	Fire Fighter	Wildland Fire Fighter
Average salary	$56,792	$51,848
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $89,000	Between $35,000 And $76,000
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 wildland fire fighter education

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

	Fire Fighter	Wildland Fire Fighter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Fire fighter vs wildland fire fighter demographics

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

	Fire Fighter	Wildland Fire Fighter
Average age	49	39
Gender ratio	Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1%	Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7%
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, 6.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 1.9% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	3%

Differences between fire fighter and wildland fire fighter 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.

Wildland fire fighter example responsibilities.

Lead and document the crew on six minutes for safety, tailgate safety sessions and JHA's.
Complete reorganization of all job relate JHA's.
Remove hazardous trees and other materials to provide safer conditions for other firefighting teams
Maintain knowledge of current firefighting and medical practices by participating in drills and attending require training.
Use hand tools such as, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge and brush trimmers

Fire fighter vs wildland fire fighter skills

Common fire fighter skills

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

Common wildland fire fighter skills

Fire Safety, 33%
Hand Tools, 20%
DIG, 12%
Shovels, 11%
Water Pumps, 9%
Fire Prevention, 9%

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Fire Fighter vs Wildland Fire Fighter

Updated January 8, 2025

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