Fire investigator vs arson investigator

The differences between fire investigators and arson investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a fire investigator, becoming an arson investigator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a fire investigator has an average salary of $64,364, which is higher than the $52,648 average annual salary of an arson investigator.

The top three skills for a fire investigator include NFPA, scientific methods and legal proceedings. The most important skills for an arson investigator are fire protection, law enforcement, and fire investigations.

Fire investigator vs arson investigator overview

	Fire Investigator	Arson Investigator
Yearly salary	$64,364	$52,648
Hourly rate	$30.94	$25.31
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	20,597	4,427
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	2

Fire investigator vs arson investigator salary

Fire investigators and arson investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Investigator	Arson Investigator
Average salary	$64,364	$52,648
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $95,000	Between $32,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fire investigator and arson investigator education

There are a few differences between a fire investigator and an arson investigator in terms of educational background:

	Fire Investigator	Arson Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Fire Science And Protection
Most common college	John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York	University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Fire investigator vs arson investigator demographics

Here are the differences between fire investigators' and arson investigators' demographics:

	Fire Investigator	Arson Investigator
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5%	Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
LGBT Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between fire investigator and arson investigator duties and responsibilities

Fire investigator example responsibilities.

Manage repair processes in a timely fashion to mitigate claims cost and reduce litigation exposure.
Supervise the patrol officers in assisting and leading them in their performance of their duties.
Provide recommendations to assist in the determination of claim settlement or litigation.
Work closely with patrol, investigation, and at-large representatives to avoid costly collective bargaining problems.
Assist attorneys in misdemeanor civil/criminal cases by delivering subpoenas, interviewing witnesses, collecting and documenting evidence relate to open cases.
Utilize insurance investigative databases (ISO, NCIB) to review history and complete thorough investigations.

Arson investigator example responsibilities.

Manage repair processes in a timely fashion to mitigate claims cost and reduce litigation exposure.
Consider an expert in fire and arson investigation in courtroom testimony resulting in many successful prosecutions.
Patrol specific area on foot, horseback, and motorize conveyance.
Present public education programs relate to arson.
Conduct undercover operations on purchasing homemade fireworks and arson for profit.
Assist attorneys in misdemeanor civil/criminal cases by delivering subpoenas, interviewing witnesses, collecting and documenting evidence relate to open cases.

Fire investigator vs arson investigator skills

Common fire investigator skills

NFPA, 42%
Scientific Methods, 13%
Legal Proceedings, 10%
Litigation, 8%
Fire Scenes, 5%
Evidence Collection, 4%

Common arson investigator skills

Fire Protection, 35%
Law Enforcement, 26%
Fire Investigations, 18%
Fire, 7%
Arson, 7%
Evidence Collection, 1%

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Protective Service Industry
Fire Investigator
Fire Investigator vs Arson Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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