Fire lookout demographics and statistics in the US
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Fire lookout demographics by:
Fire lookout gender statistics
35.3% of fire lookouts are women and 64.7% of fire lookouts are men.
- Male, 64.7%
- Female, 35.3%
Fire lookout gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 64.7% |
| Female | 35.3% |
Fire lookout gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$44,768
Female income
$42,910
Fire lookout gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in fire lookout positions over time. Currently, 35.3% of fire lookouts are female.
Fire lookout gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.07% | 35.93% |
| 2011 | 60.52% | 39.48% |
| 2012 | 66.86% | 33.14% |
| 2013 | 65.33% | 34.67% |
| 2014 | 58.04% | 41.96% |
| 2015 | 63.29% | 36.71% |
| 2016 | 67.18% | 32.82% |
| 2017 | 54.09% | 45.91% |
| 2018 | 59.30% | 40.70% |
| 2019 | 53.58% | 46.42% |
| 2020 | 51.73% | 48.27% |
| 2021 | 64.71% | 35.29% |
Fire lookout related jobs gender ratio
We compared fire lookouts with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, fire observer and cannon fire direction specialist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention Specialist | 33% | 67% |
| Fire Lookout | 65% | 35% |
| Driver Engineer | 96% | 4% |
| Cannon Fire Direction Specialist | 96% | 4% |
| Fire Observer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Fire lookout demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among fire lookouts is White, which makes up 77.8% of all fire lookouts. Comparatively, 7.6% of fire lookouts are Hispanic or Latino and 7.3% of fire lookouts are Unknown.
- White, 77.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.6%
- Unknown, 7.3%
- Black or African American, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
- Asian, 1.0%
Fire lookout race
| Fire lookout race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.6% |
| Unknown | 7.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.9% |
| Asian | 1.0% |
Fire lookout race and ethnicity over time
See how fire lookout racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Fire lookout race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 79.50% | 10.88% | 1.26% | 7.11% |
| 2011 | 85.78% | 6.47% | 0.86% | 3.88% |
| 2012 | 81.99% | 8.81% | 0.38% | 5.36% |
| 2013 | 84.75% | 4.93% | 1.35% | 7.62% |
| 2014 | 81.54% | 4.62% | 1.92% | 8.08% |
| 2015 | 75.77% | 6.15% | 2.31% | 11.92% |
| 2016 | 78.16% | 8.43% | 1.92% | 8.43% |
| 2017 | 79.92% | 9.21% | 1.67% | 7.11% |
| 2018 | 84.26% | 6.23% | 0.66% | 5.90% |
| 2019 | 76.70% | 6.15% | 2.27% | 12.62% |
| 2020 | 79.52% | 4.44% | 6.14% | 5.80% |
| 2021 | 77.78% | 4.44% | 0.95% | 7.62% |
Fire lookout wage gap by race
According to our data, asian fire lookouts have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american fire lookouts have the lowest average salary at $44,091.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $44,615 |
| White | $45,045 |
| Black or African American | $44,091 |
| Asian | $45,076 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $45,021 |
Average fire lookout age
See how the average age of fire lookouts varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Fire lookout age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 49 | |
| White | 49 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 49 |
Fire lookout age breakdown
The average age of fire lookouts is 40+ years years old, representing 80% of the fire lookout population.
Fire lookout age breakdown
| Fire Lookout Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 80% |
| 30-40 years | 19% |
| 20-30 years | 1% |
Fire lookout educational attainment
The most common degree for fire lookouts is bachelor's degree, with 40% of fire lookouts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 20%.
- Bachelor's, 40%
- Associate, 27%
- Master's, 20%
- High School Diploma, 13%
Fire lookouts by degree level
| Fire lookout degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 40% |
| Associate | 27% |
| Master's | 20% |
| High School Diploma | 13% |
Fire lookout jobs you might like
Fire lookout wage gap by degree level
According to the data, fire lookouts with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $46,351 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, fire lookouts earn a median annual income of $45,733 compared to $42,646 for fire lookouts with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,646 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,733 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $46,351 |
Fire lookout turnover and employment statistics
Fire lookout unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for fire lookouts between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Fire lookout unemployment rate by year
| Year | Fire lookout unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.76% |
| 2011 | 8.87% |
| 2012 | 8.14% |
| 2013 | 3.13% |
| 2014 | 2.80% |
| 2015 | 4.76% |
| 2016 | 3.27% |
| 2017 | 2.99% |
| 2018 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | 2.24% |
| 2020 | 1.57% |
| 2021 | 1.85% |
Average fire lookout tenure
The average fire lookout stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 24 fire lookouts resumes in Zippia's database.
Fire lookout tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 73% |
| 1-2 years | 8% |
| 3-4 years | 8% |
| 5-7 years | 4% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Fire lookout LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of fire lookouts that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Equipment Operator | 4.66% | 43,350 |
| Loss Prevention Associate | 5.54% | 82,313 |
| Swim Lesson Instructor | 5.88% | 24,835 |
| Security Officer | 6.63% | 125,879 |
| Correctional Sergeant | 8.48% | 72,839 |
| Security Screener | 9.37% | 45,041 |
| Fire Lookout | 18.40% | - |
Similar fire lookout jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Equipment Operator | 4.66% | 43,350 |
| Loss Prevention Associate | 5.54% | 82,313 |
| Swim Lesson Instructor | 5.88% | 24,835 |
| Security Officer | 6.63% | 125,879 |
| Correctional Sergeant | 8.48% | 72,839 |
| Security Screener | 9.37% | 45,041 |
Foreign languages spoken by fire lookouts
- Spanish, 100.0%
Fire lookout languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 100.0% |