Forest firefighter demographics and statistics in the US
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Forest firefighter demographics by:
Forest firefighter gender statistics
11.8% of forest firefighters are women and 88.2% of forest firefighters are men.
- Male, 88.2%
- Female, 11.8%
Forest firefighter gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 88.2% |
| Female | 11.8% |
Forest firefighter gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$38,209
Female income
$34,790
Forest firefighter gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in forest firefighter positions over time. Currently, 11.8% of forest firefighters are female.
Forest firefighter gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 89.13% | 10.87% |
| 2011 | 87.33% | 12.67% |
| 2012 | 87.57% | 12.43% |
| 2013 | 86.62% | 13.38% |
| 2014 | 90.97% | 9.03% |
| 2015 | 84.16% | 15.84% |
| 2016 | 86.05% | 13.95% |
| 2017 | 87.87% | 12.13% |
| 2018 | 89.72% | 10.28% |
| 2019 | 89.18% | 10.82% |
| 2020 | 87.28% | 12.72% |
| 2021 | 88.18% | 11.82% |
Forest firefighter related jobs gender ratio
We compared forest firefighters with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, fire observer and cannon fire direction specialist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention Specialist | 33% | 67% |
| Forest Firefighter | 88% | 12% |
| Driver Engineer | 96% | 4% |
| Cannon Fire Direction Specialist | 96% | 4% |
| Fire Observer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Forest firefighter demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among forest firefighters is White, which makes up 68.9% of all forest firefighters. Comparatively, 15.8% of forest firefighters are Hispanic or Latino and 7.7% of forest firefighters are Black or African American.
- White, 68.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.8%
- Black or African American, 7.7%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Asian, 1.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Forest firefighter race
| Forest firefighter race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 68.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.8% |
| Black or African American | 7.7% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Asian | 1.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Forest firefighter race and ethnicity over time
See how forest firefighter racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Forest firefighter race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.22% | 8.06% | 1.30% | 13.02% |
| 2011 | 74.87% | 7.30% | 1.50% | 12.49% |
| 2012 | 74.69% | 7.72% | 0.93% | 12.67% |
| 2013 | 74.00% | 6.84% | 1.23% | 13.29% |
| 2014 | 73.50% | 7.16% | 1.87% | 12.72% |
| 2015 | 74.00% | 7.83% | 1.53% | 12.70% |
| 2016 | 74.02% | 7.68% | 1.33% | 13.01% |
| 2017 | 72.97% | 7.20% | 1.24% | 14.46% |
| 2018 | 72.28% | 7.34% | 1.55% | 14.52% |
| 2019 | 74.88% | 6.55% | 1.87% | 14.03% |
| 2020 | 72.62% | 6.33% | 1.75% | 12.36% |
| 2021 | 68.94% | 7.73% | 1.85% | 15.75% |
Forest firefighter wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino forest firefighters have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian forest firefighters have the lowest average salary at $34,479.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $39,100 |
| White | $40,628 |
| Black or African American | $34,902 |
| Asian | $34,479 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $42,602 |
Average forest firefighter age
See how the average age of forest firefighters varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Forest firefighter age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 37.5 | 30 |
| Unknown | 38 | |
| Asian | 40 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 40 |
| White | 39 | 37 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 36 |
Forest firefighter age breakdown
The average age of forest firefighters is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the forest firefighter population.
Forest firefighter age breakdown
| Forest Firefighter Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 37% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Forest firefighter educational attainment
The most common degree for forest firefighters is bachelor's degree, with 43% of forest firefighters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 31% and high school diploma degree at 20%.
- Bachelor's, 43%
- High School Diploma, 31%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Forest firefighters by degree level
| Forest firefighter degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 43% |
| High School Diploma | 31% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Forest firefighter jobs you might like
Forest firefighter wage gap by degree level
According to the data, forest firefighters with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $46,819 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, forest firefighters earn a median annual income of $46,596 compared to $42,430 for forest firefighters with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,819 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,573 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,596 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,430 |
Forest firefighter employment statistics
Company size where forest firefighters work
Below, you can see the size of companies where forest firefighters work.
Forest firefighter jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 17% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 33% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Forest firefighter turnover and employment statistics
Forest firefighter unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for forest firefighters between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Forest firefighter unemployment rate by year
| Year | Forest firefighter unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.88% |
| 2011 | 3.10% |
| 2012 | 2.78% |
| 2013 | 2.98% |
| 2014 | 2.13% |
| 2015 | 2.46% |
| 2016 | 1.95% |
| 2017 | 1.87% |
| 2018 | 1.53% |
| 2019 | 1.06% |
| 2020 | 2.13% |
| 2021 | 1.45% |
Average forest firefighter tenure
The average forest firefighter stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 115 forest firefighters resumes in Zippia's database.
Forest firefighter tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 29% |
| 1-2 years | 41% |
| 3-4 years | 18% |
| 5-7 years | 7% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 2% |
Forest firefighter LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of forest firefighters 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Firefighter | 3.06% | - |
| Loss Prevention Analyst | 5.54% | 62,658 |
| Swim Instructor | 5.88% | 24,849 |
| Head Of Security | 6.63% | 92,369 |
| Correctional Sergeant | 8.48% | 72,839 |
| Transportation Security Officer | 9.37% | 127,192 |
| Fire Management Technician | 11.81% | 64,959 |
Similar forest firefighter jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Loss Prevention Analyst | 5.54% | 62,658 |
| Swim Instructor | 5.88% | 24,849 |
| Head Of Security | 6.63% | 92,369 |
| Correctional Sergeant | 8.48% | 72,839 |
| Transportation Security Officer | 9.37% | 127,192 |
| Fire Management Technician | 11.81% | 64,959 |
Foreign languages spoken by forest firefighters
- Spanish, 83.3%
- Thai, 16.7%
Forest firefighter languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 83.3% |
| Thai | 16.7% |