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Job outlook for fire marshals in the United States
Fire marshal job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected fire marshal job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 1,000 new jobs for fire marshals are projected over the next decade.
Fire marshal salaries have increased 6% for fire marshals in the last 5 years.
There are over 12,666 fire marshals currently employed in the United States.
There are 3,541 active fire marshal job openings in the US.
The average fire marshal salary is $52,890.
Are fire marshal jobs in demand?
Fire marshal job and salary trends over time
Fire marshal jobs over time
Fire marshal job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,666 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 10,804 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 10,897 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 10,322 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 9,190 | 0.00% |
Average fire marshal salary over time
Fire marshal salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,890 | $25.43 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | $52,172 | $25.08 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $51,186 | $24.61 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | $51,079 | $24.56 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $49,986 | $24.03 | +3.2% |
Fire marshal jobs by state
Most common states for fire marshals
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 137 | 8% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 47 | 8% |
| 3 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 74 | 7% |
| 4 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 127 | 4% |
| 5 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 83 | 4% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 20 | 3% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 94 | 2% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 89 | 2% |
| 9 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 61 | 2% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 13 | 2% |
| 11 | California | 39,536,653 | 397 | 1% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 102 | 1% |
| 13 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 100 | 1% |
| 14 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 93 | 1% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 83 | 1% |
| 16 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 58 | 1% |
| 17 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 50 | 1% |
| 18 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 41 | 1% |
| 19 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 36 | 1% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 9 | 1% |
Most common cities for fire marshals
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tooele | 2 | 6% | $39,134 |
| 2 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $45,168 |
| 3 | Charlotte | 1 | 0% | $55,789 |
Fire Marshal job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of fire marshal experts
Daytona State College
Bakersfield College
David Mccallister
Professor, Program ManagerDaytona State College
Fire Science & Emergency Medical Services
What skills will help Fire Marshals earn the most?
David Mccallister: A comprehensive fire protection professional that has communications skills and the knowledge of the fire codes, and the necessary understanding of the value (financial - includes cost-benefit- and intrinsic) of fire protection systems
What's a good job out of college for Fire Marshals?
Charles G. Truvillion Sr.: Serving as a firefighter is a gratifying career and career path. Firefighters play a vital role in society. They save lives, save property, work as a team, keep physically fit; they have job security, good salaries, and benefits.
The best reason for being a firefighter is saving lives because there's nothing more rewarding than helping people, especially when it comes to protecting their lives. Firefighters come to your rescue when the fire turns from a friend to an enemy. As a firefighter, you work as a team. To be a successful firefighter, being a good team player is part and parcel of the job. Firefighting gives you the skills to learn to work with other people, communicate with other people, and be a part of a community. The fire service is always in demand, which means that layoffs in the fire service are minimal. Not only does it give you job security throughout your working years, but it also provides a competitive pension plan at young retirement age. Another incentive is the salary and benefits-the salary range from $39,000 to $202,000, with an average salary of $89,000.
Lastly, continuing education and work shifts are also rewarding for firefighters. Education isn't as demanding as other career paths. However, going to college and studying in this area will help get you into the profession and promote through the ranks. There are numerous required fire service training courses offered annually that firefighters attend on their days off. Firefighters' work shifts allow them to work, train, and to spend quality time with their families.
A firefighter career is both demanding and rewarding. The work is hard and often dangerous, but it's tremendously satisfying to save lives and help others in need. The job pays you in a way that no paycheck ever could. You get to contribute to society. Every individual with a moral compass wants to contribute and be a part of a solution - not the problem. When you go to bed at night, you know that you did something good for your community that day. And you did not do it for any personal reason.
What technical skills for a Fire Marshal stand out to employers?
Charles G. Truvillion Sr.: Technical skills that stand out in the fire service are Structural firefighting and Wildland firefighting. Specialized training includes aircraft firefighting, shipboard firefighting, aerial firefighting, maritime firefighting, and proximity firefighting.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Fire Marshals in the next 3-5 years?
Charles G. Truvillion Sr.: Innovative technology has always been an essential part of firefighting. However, firefighting is a highly values tradition, and sometimes, departments can be hesitant to adopt new firefighter technology. In some ways, this resistance is understandable. Fire technology can be expensive and complicated, and implementing new firefighter tools may require adjustments to training and operating procedures. Technology in the fire service covers far more than computers and software. Over the next 3-5 years, there will be more technology in Personal Protective Equipment, fire pumps, radio communication systems, and computerized simulations of training programs focused on preventing firefighter line of duty deaths. Firefighting technology advances all work together to improve firefighter safety and effectiveness.