Forest Firefighting & Investigation

Types of Degrees Forest Firefighting & Investigation Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many wildl&/forest firefighting & investigation graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	47
Basic Certificate	20
Undergraduate Certificate	9

What Forest Firefighting & Investigation Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to wildland/forest firefighting and investigation were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in wildland/forest firefighting and investigation should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation Majors

A major in wildland/forest firefighting and investigation prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a wildland/forest firefighting and investigation student include the following:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Forest Firefighting & Investigation Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with wildland/forest firefighting and investigation:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists	29.4%	$39,600
Forest Firefighters	7.2%	$49,620

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Forest Firefighting & Investigation?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 74% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of wildland/forest firefighting and investigation majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	8
White	34
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	4

How Much Do Forest Firefighting & Investigation Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $49,610 to $53,240 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to wildland/forest firefighting and investigation. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Forest Firefighting & Investigation

Some careers associated with wildland/forest firefighting and investigation require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to wildland/forest firefighting and investigation have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	8.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	43.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	5.4%
Some College Courses	10.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	10.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	14.0%
Doctoral Degree	7.9%

Online Forest Firefighting & Investigation Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	6	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	13	2
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Forest Firefighting & Investigation Worth It?

The median salary for a wildland/forest firefighting and investigation grad is $49,610 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 24% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $194,200 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Forest Firefighting & Investigation

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to wildland/forest firefighting and investigation.

Major	Number of Grads
Fire Science	8,321
Fire Prevention & Safety Technology/Technician	3,862
Fire Services Administration	1,370
Other Fire Protection	140
Fire Systems Technology	72
Fire/Arson Investigation & Prevention	60

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.