Fire warden vs forest officer

The differences between fire wardens and forest officers 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 forest officer. Additionally, a fire warden has an average salary of $52,127, which is higher than the $45,116 average annual salary of a forest officer.

Fire warden vs forest officer overview

	Fire Warden	Forest Officer
Yearly salary	$52,127	$45,116
Hourly rate	$25.06	$21.69
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,389	55,753
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	4

Fire warden vs forest officer salary

Fire wardens and forest officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Warden	Forest Officer
Average salary	$52,127	$45,116
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $73,000	Between $23,000 And $87,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fire warden and forest officer education

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

	Fire Warden	Forest Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Forestry
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of California, Berkeley

Fire warden vs forest officer demographics

Here are the differences between fire wardens' and forest officers' demographics:

	Fire Warden	Forest Officer
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 78.1% Female, 21.9%	Male, 79.5% Female, 20.5%
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 forest officer 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.

Forest officer example responsibilities.

Coordinate surplus equipment acquisition & disposal through the GSA & USDA.
Work with respective DFO's in the management of forest reserves, prescription of silvicultural activities, matching species to site.
Test and maintain tools, equipment, jump gear and parachutes to ensure readiness for fire suppression activities.

Fire warden vs forest officer skills

Common fire warden skills

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

Common forest officer skills

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Updated January 8, 2025

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