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Job outlook for fire lieutenants in the United States
Fire lieutenant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected fire lieutenant job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 800 new jobs for fire lieutenants are projected over the next decade.
Fire lieutenant salaries have increased 6% for fire lieutenants in the last 5 years.
There are over 15,633 fire lieutenants currently employed in the United States.
There are 3,665 active fire lieutenant job openings in the US.
The average fire lieutenant salary is $56,705.
Are fire lieutenant jobs in demand?
Fire lieutenant job and salary trends over time
Fire lieutenant jobs over time
Fire lieutenant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 15,633 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 13,335 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 13,449 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 12,740 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 11,343 | 0.00% |
Average fire lieutenant salary over time
Fire lieutenant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $56,705 | $27.26 | +1.4% |
| 2025 | $55,936 | $26.89 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $54,879 | $26.38 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | $54,764 | $26.33 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $53,592 | $25.77 | +3.2% |
Fire lieutenant jobs by state
Most common states for fire lieutenants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 144 | 8% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 80 | 8% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 48 | 8% |
| 4 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 128 | 4% |
| 5 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 93 | 4% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 23 | 3% |
| 7 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 121 | 2% |
| 8 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 120 | 2% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 100 | 2% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 91 | 2% |
| 11 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 60 | 2% |
| 12 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 32 | 2% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 14 | 2% |
| 14 | California | 39,536,653 | 418 | 1% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 123 | 1% |
| 16 | New York | 19,849,399 | 118 | 1% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 110 | 1% |
| 18 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 47 | 1% |
| 19 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 45 | 1% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 9 | 1% |
Most common cities for fire lieutenants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $51,205 |
Fire Lieutenant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of fire lieutenant experts
University of Akron
Eastern Oregon University
What will help Fire Lieutenants increase their earning potential?
Matthew Claflin: Obtain as many certifications as possible to make yourself marketable for employment. New people entering the fire service should apply to as many organizations as possible. Full-time career departments still only make up about 30% of fire departments in the country, so it is essential to cast a broad net to obtain potential employment opportunities.
What skills stand out on Fire Lieutenant resumes?
Kevin Walker: Everyone has roughly the same basic skills required for a position, or they're simply unqualified. Skills that stand out tend to be those that go above and beyond the basics. For example: Do you speak a second (or more) language? Do you have education or training in advanced oral and written communications? Do you have proficiency in office suite applications, particularly in Excel? Have you gained expertise in grant writing? Have you trained in a specialty area such as rescue diving or high-angle rescue? Have you acquired specialty certifications through a recognized authority (particularly if your new department has a need for them and no resources to send someone to train)?
What soft skills should all Fire Lieutenants possess?
Kevin Walker: In my opinion, the soft skills that are the most important, in no particular order, are emotional intelligence (the ability to 'read the room'), intercultural competency (the ability to interact with multiple cultures without offending everyone), the ability to work in a team environment (leading OR following), communication (especially under high-stress conditions), managing stress (poor stress management leads to health and performance issues), understanding conflict management and how to effectively deal with it, being open to constructive criticism, and understanding leadership. That's particularly important in that leadership is often equated with being a "born leader," which is mostly nonsense. You actually have to study leadership and learn to apply it. There are many leadership styles, and you have to match one to your personality. Understanding what works and what doesn't and, most importantly, WHY? This includes the ability to identify and understand leader/follower motivations so you can work effectively as a leader. Obviously, you can write a treatise on each of these soft skills, and many people have (and there are other recognized soft skills), but these are the soft skills that I've had the most experience and feedback as being most in demand.
What skills will help Fire Lieutenants earn the most?
Kevin Walker: Earnings tend to follow expertise and flexibility in fire and EMS. The more training, experience, and 'extra abilities you bring to the table, the more promotional job options you have. Being fluent in a second language, for example, often goes along with a bonus as you have the ability to converse with someone without proficiency in English. You can imagine the advantages of a crisis! Many departments specifically recruit dual language speakers with higher salaries commensurate with the additional valuable skill. The same thing applies to other types of additional skills and experience. Someone who has studied grant writing and has successfully written grants tends to be well compensated because they bring in money, and no one wants to lose them. Those are just some examples of how doing more than just the minimum can pay off in your career!
What hard/technical skills are most important for Fire Lieutenants?
Kevin Walker: Identifying the most important technical skills is rather dependent on the department and position being sought. Required skills are usually set by regulations, SOGs, or SOPs, so identifying those as 'most important' misses the point. They're a minimum job requirement. However, understanding of and adherence to established standards and training is absolutely critical! Emergency situations are not the place to wing it. Learning to 'read' a fire or EMS scene, learning to assess threats and evaluate resources and options quickly and accurately, and learning to apply resources effectively to minimize loss and maximize life and safety are as essential to a career as to how to connect a hose, climb a ladder, or start an IV.