How To Become A Fire Investigator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a fire investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Gary LaFree

Fire Investigators are those who may be called upon by law enforcement or fire departments to investigate. They collect and identify evidence, perform analysis, and determine if a crime has been committed. They also interview witnesses and assist in identifying offenders in cases of firing and arrest suspects.

Typically, you need to possess a four to five year of fire science degree. However, it would be great to be certified from a fire investigator training college or institution with a couple of years of experience and agents skill.

The graduates who approach this field end up laying claim to annual earnings at $60,200. The current median pay for a Fire Investigator ranges from $48,050 to $72,540 in the U.S. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience and skills.

What general advice would you give to a fire investigator?

Gary LaFree

Chair and Professor, University of Maryland

Think about obtaining as much education and training as you can. Be patient. The fundamentals of the economy are relatively strong. Outlet should be much better when we get through the current crisis.

ScoreFire InvestigatorUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $64,364

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.81%

Asian 1.21%

Black or African American 5.95%

Hispanic or Latino 12.11%

Unknown 7.26%

White 71.66%

Gender

female 12.50%

male 87.50%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a fire investigator

Explore fire investigator education requirements

Most common fire investigator degrees

Bachelor's

44.0 %

Associate

38.4 %

Master's

11.9 %

Start to develop specific fire investigator skills

Skills	Percentages
NFPA	42.16%
Scientific Methods	13.33%
Legal Proceedings	9.88%
Litigation	8.06%
Fire Scenes	4.62%

Complete relevant fire investigator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New fire investigators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a fire investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real fire investigator resumes.

Research fire investigator duties and 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.

Prepare your fire investigator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your fire investigator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a fire investigator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable fire investigator resume templates

Build a professional fire investigator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your fire investigator resume.