Fire warden vs fire chief

The differences between fire wardens and fire chiefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a fire warden, becoming a fire chief takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a fire chief has an average salary of $69,961, which is higher than the $52,127 average annual salary of a fire warden.

The top three skills for a fire warden include fire protection, hazardous materials and fire hazards. The most important skills for a fire chief are fire protection, emergency response, and public safety.

Fire warden vs fire chief overview

	Fire Warden	Fire Chief
Yearly salary	$52,127	$69,961
Hourly rate	$25.06	$33.64
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,389	16,088
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Associate Degree, 37%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	8

Fire warden vs fire chief salary

Fire wardens and fire chiefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Warden	Fire Chief
Average salary	$52,127	$69,961
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $73,000	Between $40,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	CVR Energy
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between fire warden and fire chief education

There are a few differences between a fire warden and a fire chief in terms of educational background:

	Fire Warden	Fire Chief
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Associate Degree, 37%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Fire Science And Protection
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Fire warden vs fire chief demographics

Here are the differences between fire wardens' and fire chiefs' demographics:

	Fire Warden	Fire Chief
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 78.1% Female, 21.9%	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 2.3% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	18%	7%

Differences between fire warden and fire chief duties and responsibilities

Fire warden example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Provide information to the FSD on duty.
Perform duties during fires and emergencies as directed by FSD on duty.
Ensure firefighting equipment are ready in working condition.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Coordinate and synchronize intelligence gathering assets with artillery, mortar, and aviation systems in support of complex tactical operations.

Fire chief example responsibilities.

Manage the combat logistics operations center's daily operations and ensure efficient information flow between internal and external organizations.
Determine appropriate control techniques and direct firefighting teams during numerous fire, hazardous material releases and medical emergencies.
Respond to fires, medical, HAZMAT, bombs and threat calls.
Maintain and inspect the SCBA equipment.
Conduct departmental assessments in accordance with DoD, standards.
Provide emergency medical care including first-aid and CPR to victims.

Fire warden vs fire chief skills

Common fire warden skills

Fire Protection, 49%
Hazardous Materials, 17%
Fire Hazards, 13%
Firefighting, 11%
Fire Alarms, 10%

Common fire chief skills

Fire Protection, 10%
Emergency Response, 8%
Public Safety, 8%
Fire Service, 5%
Fire Suppression, 5%
Emergency Services, 4%