Fire warden vs fire lookout

The differences between fire wardens and fire lookouts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a fire warden and a fire lookout. Additionally, a fire warden has an average salary of $52,127, which is higher than the $44,100 average annual salary of a fire lookout.

The top three skills for a fire warden include fire protection, hazardous materials and fire hazards. The most important skills for a fire lookout are weather data, , and .

Fire warden vs fire lookout overview

	Fire Warden	Fire Lookout
Yearly salary	$52,127	$44,100
Hourly rate	$25.06	$21.20
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,389	3,373
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	4

Fire warden vs fire lookout salary

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

	Fire Warden	Fire Lookout
Average salary	$52,127	$44,100
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $73,000	Between $28,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fire warden and fire lookout education

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

	Fire Warden	Fire Lookout
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Fire warden vs fire lookout demographics

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

	Fire Warden	Fire Lookout
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 78.1% Female, 21.9%	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%
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, 4.4% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 1.0% White, 77.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between fire warden and fire lookout 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 lookout example responsibilities.

Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.

Fire warden vs fire lookout skills

Common fire warden skills

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

Common fire lookout skills

Weather Data, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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