Fire lookout vs forest fire officer

The differences between fire lookouts and forest fire officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a fire lookout and a forest fire officer. Additionally, a forest fire officer has an average salary of $46,660, which is higher than the $44,100 average annual salary of a fire lookout.

Fire lookout vs forest fire officer overview

	Fire Lookout	Forest Fire Officer
Yearly salary	$44,100	$46,660
Hourly rate	$21.20	$22.43
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,373	59,043
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	4

Fire lookout vs forest fire officer salary

Fire lookouts and forest fire officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Lookout	Forest Fire Officer
Average salary	$44,100	$46,660
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $68,000	Between $30,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fire lookout and forest fire officer education

There are a few differences between a fire lookout and a forest fire officer in terms of educational background:

	Fire Lookout	Forest Fire Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Business	Forestry
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	Duke University

Fire lookout vs forest fire officer demographics

Here are the differences between fire lookouts' and forest fire officers' demographics:

	Fire Lookout	Forest Fire Officer
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 1.0% White, 77.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 1.0% White, 77.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between fire lookout and forest fire officer duties and responsibilities

Fire lookout example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.

Forest fire officer example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.

Fire lookout vs forest fire officer skills

Common fire lookout skills

Weather Data, 100%

Common forest fire officer skills

Fire Lookout vs. similar jobs

Fire Lookout related careers

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What similar roles do

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Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout vs Forest Fire Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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