Wildland fire fighter demographics and statistics in the US
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Wildland fire fighter demographics by:
Wildland fire fighter gender statistics
20.7% of wildland fire fighters are women and 79.3% of wildland fire fighters are men.
- Male, 79.3%
- Female, 20.7%
Wildland fire fighter gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 79.3% |
| Female | 20.7% |
Wildland fire fighter gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$49,215
Female income
$45,932
Wildland fire fighter gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in wildland fire fighter positions over time. Currently, 20.7% of wildland fire fighters are female.
Wildland fire fighter gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.84% | 19.16% |
| 2011 | 78.01% | 21.99% |
| 2012 | 78.38% | 21.62% |
| 2013 | 76.91% | 23.09% |
| 2014 | 83.83% | 16.17% |
| 2015 | 73.22% | 26.78% |
| 2016 | 76.05% | 23.95% |
| 2017 | 78.84% | 21.16% |
| 2018 | 81.78% | 18.22% |
| 2019 | 80.92% | 19.08% |
| 2020 | 77.93% | 22.07% |
| 2021 | 79.34% | 20.66% |
Wildland fire fighter related jobs gender ratio
We compared wildland fire fighters 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% |
| Wildland Fire Fighter | 79% | 21% |
| 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%
Wildland fire fighter demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among wildland fire fighters is White, which makes up 69.3% of all wildland fire fighters. Comparatively, 16.4% of wildland fire fighters are Hispanic or Latino and 6.7% of wildland fire fighters are Black or African American.
- White, 69.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.4%
- Black or African American, 6.7%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Asian, 1.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Wildland fire fighter race
| Wildland fire fighter race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 69.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.4% |
| Black or African American | 6.7% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Asian | 1.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Wildland fire fighter race and ethnicity over time
See how wildland fire fighter racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Wildland fire fighter race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.55% | 7.05% | 1.33% | 13.65% |
| 2011 | 75.21% | 6.30% | 1.52% | 13.12% |
| 2012 | 75.03% | 6.72% | 0.96% | 13.31% |
| 2013 | 74.34% | 5.83% | 1.26% | 13.92% |
| 2014 | 73.84% | 6.15% | 1.90% | 13.35% |
| 2015 | 74.34% | 6.83% | 1.56% | 13.33% |
| 2016 | 74.35% | 6.67% | 1.36% | 13.65% |
| 2017 | 73.31% | 6.19% | 1.27% | 15.09% |
| 2018 | 72.62% | 6.33% | 1.58% | 15.15% |
| 2019 | 75.22% | 5.54% | 1.89% | 14.66% |
| 2020 | 72.96% | 5.32% | 1.78% | 12.99% |
| 2021 | 69.28% | 6.72% | 1.88% | 16.38% |
Wildland fire fighter wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino wildland fire fighters have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian wildland fire fighters have the lowest average salary at $45,515.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $50,107 |
| White | $51,407 |
| Black or African American | $46,202 |
| Asian | $45,515 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $53,301 |
Average wildland fire fighter age
See how the average age of wildland fire fighters varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Wildland fire fighter 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 |
Wildland fire fighter age breakdown
The average age of wildland fire fighters is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the wildland fire fighter population.
Wildland fire fighter age breakdown
| Wildland Fire Fighter Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 37% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Wildland fire fighter educational attainment
The most common degree for wildland fire fighters is high school diploma, with 36% of wildland fire fighters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 26% and bachelor's degree degree at 21%.
- High School Diploma, 36%
- Bachelor's, 26%
- Associate, 21%
- Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Wildland fire fighters by degree level
| Wildland fire fighter degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 36% |
| Bachelor's | 26% |
| Associate | 21% |
| Diploma | 11% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Wildland fire fighter jobs you might like
Wildland fire fighter wage gap by degree level
According to the data, wildland fire fighters with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $57,399 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, wildland fire fighters earn a median annual income of $56,755 compared to $53,147 for wildland fire fighters with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,399 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $46,989 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,755 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,147 |
Wildland fire fighter employment statistics
Company size where wildland fire fighters work
Below, you can see the size of companies where wildland fire fighters work.
Wildland fire fighter jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 35% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 17% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
Wildland fire fighter turnover and employment statistics
Wildland fire fighter unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for wildland fire fighters between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Wildland fire fighter unemployment rate by year
| Year | Wildland fire fighter 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 wildland fire fighter tenure
The average wildland fire fighter stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 126 wildland fire fighters resumes in Zippia's database.
Wildland fire fighter tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 38% |
| 1-2 years | 26% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Wildland fire fighter LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of wildland fire fighters 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wildland Fire Fighter | 3.06% | - |
| Loss Prevention Agent | 5.54% | 103,534 |
| Certified Lifeguard | 5.88% | 36,332 |
| Observer | 6.63% | 435 |
| Correctional Sergeant | 8.48% | 72,839 |
| Security Screener | 9.37% | 45,041 |
| Fire Extinguisher Inspector | 11.81% | 19,455 |
Similar wildland fire fighter jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Loss Prevention Agent | 5.54% | 103,534 |
| Certified Lifeguard | 5.88% | 36,332 |
| Observer | 6.63% | 435 |
| Correctional Sergeant | 8.48% | 72,839 |
| Security Screener | 9.37% | 45,041 |
| Fire Extinguisher Inspector | 11.81% | 19,455 |
Foreign languages spoken by wildland fire fighters
The most common foreign language among wildland fire fighters is Somali at 33.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 33.3% and Spanish is the third-most popular at 33.3%.
- Somali, 33.3%
- French, 33.3%
- Spanish, 33.3%
Wildland fire fighter languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Somali | 33.3% |
| French | 33.3% |
| Spanish | 33.3% |