Fire investigator vs fire marshal

The differences between fire investigators and fire marshals 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 a fire marshal takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a fire investigator has an average salary of $64,364, which is higher than the $52,890 average annual salary of a fire marshal.

The top three skills for a fire investigator include NFPA, scientific methods and legal proceedings. The most important skills for a fire marshal are fire protection, fire safety, and NFPA.

Fire investigator vs fire marshal overview

	Fire Investigator	Fire Marshal
Yearly salary	$64,364	$52,890
Hourly rate	$30.94	$25.43
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	20,597	3,541
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	8

Fire investigator vs fire marshal salary

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

	Fire Investigator	Fire Marshal
Average salary	$64,364	$52,890
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $95,000	Between $34,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fire investigator and fire marshal education

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

	Fire Investigator	Fire Marshal
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
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 fire marshal demographics

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

	Fire Investigator	Fire Marshal
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5%	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%
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, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 2.3% White, 76.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	18%	7%

Differences between fire investigator and fire marshal 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.

Fire marshal example responsibilities.

Manage regulatory compliance (NRC, INPO, NFPA, WANO, etc .).
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Train shipboard personnel in the operation, maintenance and repair of systems, equipment and various firefighting methods.
Determine ladder requirements, direct ladder placement, deploy personnel on ladders, and monitor ladder operations to ensure safety.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.

Fire investigator vs fire marshal skills

Common fire investigator skills

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

Common fire marshal skills

Fire Protection, 15%
Fire Safety, 13%
NFPA, 7%
Hazardous Materials, 5%
Plan Review, 5%
Emergency Response, 5%

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Investigator responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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