Post job

Fire safety inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fire safety inspector. Fire safety inspectors usually study fire science and protection, business, or criminal justice. 39% of fire safety inspectors hold a associate degree, and 36% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 346 real fire safety inspector resumes to see exactly what fire safety inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for fire safety inspectors are the American University and the American University.

There are also many online fire safety inspector courses to help get the education required to be a fire safety inspector.

There are certain fire safety inspector certifications that you should consider. These fire safety inspector certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Healthcare Safety Professional - Fire Safety Management (CHSP-FSM).

What education do you need to become a fire safety inspector?

What degree do you need to be a fire safety inspector?

The most common degree for fire safety inspectors is associate degree, with 39% of fire safety inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 36% and bachelor's degree degree at 11%.
  • Associate, 39%
  • Bachelor's, 36%
  • High School Diploma, 11%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a fire safety inspector?

You should major in fire science and protection to become a fire safety inspector. 35% of fire safety inspectors major in fire science and protection. Other common majors for a fire safety inspector include business and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for fire safety inspectors

Fire safety inspectors often get their degrees at American University, Columbia Southern University, and University of New Hampshire. Here are the most common colleges for fire safety inspectors in the US based on their resumes.
Fire safety inspector common collegePercentages
American University11.54%
Columbia Southern University11.54%
University of New Hampshire7.69%
Monroe College7.69%
Bethany Lutheran College3.85%

Best majors for fire safety inspectors

RankMajorPercentages
1Fire Science And Protection34.9%
2Business8.7%
3Criminal Justice6.3%
4Management4.8%
5Nursing4.8%

Best colleges for fire safety inspectors

The best colleges for fire safety inspectors are Vanderbilt University, University of Rochester, and University of Tulsa.

A fire safety inspector 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 safety inspectors. 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 safety inspectors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

2. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Enrollment

24,163

3. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

4. Southwest Minnesota State University

Marshall, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,612

Enrollment

2,022

5. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Oshkosh, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$7,621

Enrollment

10,749

6. Lewis University

Romeoville, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$32,450

Enrollment

4,217

7. Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$12,951

Enrollment

6,754

8. Saint Thomas University

Miami Gardens, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$31,830

Enrollment

986

9. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$6,853

Enrollment

23,939

10. Oklahoma State University

Stillwater, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$9,019

Enrollment

20,323

20 best online courses for fire safety inspectors

Advertising disclosure

1. The Effect of Fires on People, Property and the Environment

coursera

Fires impact people, property and the environment in all countries around the world. In some cases, the resulting losses are extraordinary, causing hundreds of deaths, widespread damage to property and contents and significant impacts on the environment. More often, fires may cause a single casualty or affect a single home, though the effects are still highly significant to those affected and collectively are substantial. This course will provide an overview of the challenges posed by fire as...

2. Basic Fire Safety Awareness

udemy
4.3
(776)

Basic Fire Safety Awareness - Your Gateway towards Career in Fire Safety...

3. Fire Safety: Become A Fire Safety Expert

udemy
4.3
(484)

Become an expert in Fire Safety, Fire Hazards Control, Fire Evacuation Plans, and Fire Risk Assessment...

4. NEBOSH FIRE SAFETY

udemy
4.4
(252)

Managing Fire Safety in Workplace...

5. Fire Safety and Prevention Planning

udemy
4.4
(1,467)

Become an expert in understanding Fire Safety and Prevention Planning for your workplaces and organizations...

6. Mantaflow Fire & Smoke Simulation Guide in Blender

udemy
4.7
(335)

Learn everything there is to know about the Fire and Smoke Simulation in Blender!...

7. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

udemy
4.5
(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

8. Occupational Health & Safety Training

udemy
4.4
(1,198)

Workplace Health and Safety Course For Employees & Managers...

9. OSHA Safety Pro: Deadly Concrete Dust. Crystalline Silica.

udemy
4.4
(478)

OSHA's General, Construction, and Maritime Industries Hazard Prevention and Safety Standard...

10. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups

udemy
4.6
(584)

The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...

11. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

udemy
4.4
(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

12. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings

udemy
4.5
(958)

A Brief Safety Management Course for Current and Aspiring Safety Professionals...

13. OSHA Safety Pro: Trenching Excavation & Soil Mechanics

udemy
4.3
(727)

A quick yet detailed certification in OSHA safety with a focus on Trenching, Excavation, & Soil Mechanics...

14. Fire Starter Sessions Video Workshop with Danielle LaPorte

udemy
5
(1,189)

Strengthen your voice. Prioritize what's sacred. Define success — on your own terms. For Creatives & Entrepreneurs...

15. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management

udemy
4.6
(465)

A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...

16. High Voltage Electric Vehicle Safety

udemy
4.4
(302)

Electric Vehicle Safety Battery Pack Fire Safety Electric Shock Safety Accidental Safety High Voltage Components...

17. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

udemy
4.5
(1,881)

Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

18. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems

udemy
4.1
(263)

The most complete course available on Functional Safety. 2+ hours of videos, case studies, assignments, & more...

19. NEBOSH health and safety Management System

udemy
4.3
(448)

It Shows the Start point to Build your Health & safety Career and how to Join the field and becoming HSE Specialist...

20. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system

udemy
4.6
(4,258)

Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...

Top 10 most affordable universities for fire safety inspectors

The most affordable schools for fire safety inspectors are University of Florida, california state university - los angeles, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for fire safety inspectors 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 safety inspectors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

6. 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

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire safety inspectors

The hardest universities for fire safety inspectors to get into are Vanderbilt University, University of Rochester, and University of Tulsa.

Some great schools for fire safety inspectors 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 safety inspectors 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

2. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

3. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,362

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Providence College

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,294

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

8. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire safety inspectors

The easiest schools for fire safety inspectors to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire safety inspector 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 safety inspectors.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average fire safety inspector salary by education level

According to our data, fire safety inspectors with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,623 annually. Fire safety inspectors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $43,774.
Fire safety inspector education levelFire safety inspector salary
High School Diploma or Less$40,583
Bachelor's Degree$43,774
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,623

Fire safety inspector education FAQs

Search for fire safety inspector jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse protective service jobs