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Fire observer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fire observer. Fire observers usually study business, criminal justice, or general studies. 48% of fire observers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 139 real fire observer resumes to see exactly what fire observer education sections show.
The most common colleges for fire observers are the American Public University System and the American Public University System.
There are also many online fire observer courses to help get the education required to be a fire observer.
What education do you need to become a fire observer?
What degree do you need to be a fire observer?
- Bachelor's, 48%
- Associate, 23%
- High School Diploma, 18%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a fire observer?
- Business, 14%
- Criminal Justice, 14%
- General Studies, 10%
- Biology, 7%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for fire observers
| Fire observer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| American Public University System | 7.69% |
| ECPI University | 7.69% |
| United States Military Academy | 7.69% |
| American University | 7.69% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.69% |
Best majors for fire observers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 14.3% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 14.3% |
| 3 | General Studies | 9.5% |
| 4 | Biology | 7.1% |
| 5 | History | 7.1% |
Best colleges for fire observers
The best colleges for fire observers are California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, University of Maryland - College Park, and University of Denver.
A fire observer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for fire observers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become fire observers.
1. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Oshkosh, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$7,621
Enrollment
10,749
2. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
3. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
4. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Enrollment
11,139
5. Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$14,704
Enrollment
9,447
6. University of Idaho
Moscow, ID • Private
In-state tuition
$7,864
Enrollment
7,528
7. University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$6,657
Enrollment
4,657
8. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. University of New Haven
West Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$39,270
Enrollment
5,041
20 best online courses for fire observers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire observers
The most affordable schools for fire observers are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - los angeles, and florida international university.
If the best universities for fire observers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for fire observers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,270
Cost of attendance
14,177
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
9. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire observers
The hardest universities for fire observers to get into are California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, University of Maryland - College Park, and University of Denver.
Some great schools for fire observers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for fire observers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
2. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
3. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
4. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
6. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,336
7. Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,287
8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
60%
SAT average
1,303
9. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,345
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire observers
The easiest schools for fire observers to get into are Nyack College, university of north texas at dallas, and holy family university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire observer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for fire observers.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average fire observer salary by education level
| Fire observer education level | Fire observer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,460 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,799 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $54,465 |
Fire observer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025