Fire officer demographics and statistics in the US
Fire officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates fire officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our fire officer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about fire officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 4,751 fire officers currently employed in the United States.
- 5.7% of all fire officers are women, while 94.3% are men.
- The average fire officer age is 48 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of fire officers is White (77.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.0%), Unknown (5.9%) and Black or African American (5.5%).
- Fire officers are most in-demand in Dearborn, MI.
- Dearborn, MI pays an annual average wage of $51,573, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women fire officers earned 98% of what men earned.
- North Dakota is the best state for fire officers to live.
- Fire officers are 45% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Fire officer demographics by:
Fire officer gender statistics
5.7% of fire officers are women and 94.3% of fire officers are men.
- Male, 94.3%
- Female, 5.7%
Fire officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 94.3% |
| Female | 5.7% |
Fire officer gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$54,639
Female income
$53,427
Fire officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in fire officer positions over time. Currently, 5.7% of fire officers are female.
Fire officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 92.30% | 7.70% |
| 2011 | 95.82% | 4.18% |
| 2012 | 95.47% | 4.53% |
| 2013 | 92.04% | 7.96% |
| 2014 | 92.89% | 7.11% |
| 2015 | 95.49% | 4.51% |
| 2016 | 94.14% | 5.86% |
| 2017 | 94.66% | 5.34% |
| 2018 | 92.66% | 7.34% |
| 2019 | 95.08% | 4.92% |
| 2020 | 93.66% | 6.34% |
| 2021 | 94.31% | 5.69% |
Fire officer related jobs gender ratio
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Officer | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Fire officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among fire officers is White, which makes up 77.3% of all fire officers. Comparatively, 8.0% of fire officers are Hispanic or Latino and 5.9% of fire officers are Unknown.
- White, 77.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.0%
- Unknown, 5.9%
- Black or African American, 5.5%
- Asian, 2.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
Fire officer race
| Fire officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.0% |
| Unknown | 5.9% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% |
| Asian | 2.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
Fire officer race and ethnicity over time
See how fire officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Fire officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.70% | 8.29% | 0.79% | 7.66% |
| 2011 | 81.55% | 7.41% | 0.48% | 7.25% |
| 2012 | 83.33% | 7.31% | 1.25% | 4.87% |
| 2013 | 82.38% | 6.32% | 1.22% | 6.74% |
| 2014 | 81.23% | 7.65% | 1.64% | 6.20% |
| 2015 | 82.16% | 5.81% | 0.63% | 8.12% |
| 2016 | 80.15% | 7.41% | 1.30% | 8.23% |
| 2017 | 82.05% | 6.32% | 1.07% | 6.75% |
| 2018 | 83.01% | 5.79% | 1.09% | 6.70% |
| 2019 | 83.53% | 5.42% | 0.74% | 6.23% |
| 2020 | 81.69% | 4.84% | 0.76% | 5.80% |
| 2021 | 77.32% | 5.53% | 2.24% | 8.01% |
Fire officer wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino fire officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White fire officers have the lowest average salary at $52,158.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,011 |
| White | $52,158 |
| Black or African American | $54,571 |
| Asian | $53,744 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $58,940 |
Average fire officer age
See how the average age of fire officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Fire officer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 48 | |
| White | 50 | |
| Asian | 45 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 47.5 |
Fire officer age breakdown
The average age of fire officers is 40+ years years old, representing 89% of the fire officer population.
Fire officer age breakdown
| Fire Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 89% |
| 30-40 years | 11% |
| 20-30 years | 0% |
Fire officer educational attainment
The most common degree for fire officers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of fire officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Fire officers by degree level
| Fire officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 73% |
| Associate | 12% |
| Master's | 8% |
| High School Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Fire officer jobs you might like
Fire officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, fire officers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $62,241 annually. With a Associate degree, fire officers earn a median annual income of $54,395 compared to $49,315 for fire officers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,315 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,241 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $54,395 |
Fire officer employment statistics
Most fire officers work for a private in the government industry.
Company size where fire officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where fire officers work.
Fire officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 32% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 21% |
Fire officer jobs by company type
Employees with the fire officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most fire officers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Fire officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 9% |
| Public | 14% |
| Private | 45% |
| Government | 31% |
Fire officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for fire officers are government, professional and manufacturing.
Fire officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 26% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Manufacturing | 9% |
| Education | 8% |
| Technology | 8% |
| Utilities | 7% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Automotive | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Fire officer turnover and employment statistics
Fire officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for fire officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Fire officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Fire officer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.07% |
| 2011 | 2.15% |
| 2012 | 1.93% |
| 2013 | 0.92% |
| 2014 | 1.21% |
| 2015 | 1.01% |
| 2016 | 0.57% |
| 2017 | 0.37% |
| 2018 | 0.79% |
| 2019 | 0.36% |
| 2020 | 0.24% |
| 2021 | 1.83% |
Average fire officer tenure
The average fire officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,041 fire officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Fire officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 20% |
| 1-2 years | 42% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Fire officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of fire officers 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 Officer | 6.87% | - |
| Sugar House Supervisor | 6.90% | 25,571 |
| Patrol Police Sergeant | 10.94% | 23,233 |
| Third Shift Lieutenant | 18.30% | 29,267 |
Similar fire officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar House Supervisor | 6.90% | 25,571 |
| Patrol Police Sergeant | 10.94% | 23,233 |
| Third Shift Lieutenant | 18.30% | 29,267 |
Foreign languages spoken by fire officers
The most common foreign language among fire officers is Spanish at 35.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Arabic at 12.9% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 9.7%.
- Spanish, 35.5%
- Arabic, 12.9%
- Portuguese, 9.7%
- French, 9.7%
- Russian, 9.7%
- Other, 22.5%
Fire officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 35.5% |
| Arabic | 12.9% |
| Portuguese | 9.7% |
| French | 9.7% |
| Russian | 9.7% |
| Other | 22.5% |
