Careers · Explore one path
Firefighters
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.
Other titles employers use
Fire Engineer · Fire Equipment Operator · Fire Fighter · Fire Management Specialist · Fire Technician (Fire Tech) · Firefighter · Forest Fire Suppression Specialist · Forestry Fire Technician (Forestry Fire Tech)
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
- Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
- Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
- Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
- Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
- Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical, organizing and helping work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Service Orientation
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Building and Construction
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.6 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.4 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.8 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.6 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a postsecondary certificate. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 46%
- A certificate or some college 44%
- A two-year degree 7%
- A doctorate or professional degree 3%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Presentation software
- Operating system software
- Word processing software
- Geographic information system
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 27,880
- Job openings each year
- 2,240
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 10.9%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 27,880 | 2,240 | 10.9% |
| California | 27,200 | 2,060 | 3.4% |
| Florida | 24,340 | 1,920 | 8.2% |
| Ohio | 19,370 | 1,470 | 2.8% |
| North Carolina | 18,310 | 1,490 | 13.2% |
| Illinois | 17,720 | 1,350 | 3.6% |
| New York | 13,710 | 230 | 20.5% |
| Georgia | 12,320 | 980 | 9.0% |
| Virginia | 10,910 | 840 | 5.2% |
| Indiana | 8,920 | 680 | 3.6% |
| Wisconsin | 8,550 | 640 | 1.3% |
| Michigan | 7,040 | 510 | −2.1% |
| Colorado | 6,840 | 560 | 14.6% |
| Louisiana | 6,770 | 520 | 5.1% |
| New Jersey | 6,680 | 500 | 1.5% |
| Alabama | 6,670 | 510 | 5.0% |
| South Carolina | 6,630 | 530 | 10.3% |
| Washington | 6,560 | 590 | 9.7% |
| Massachusetts | 6,050 | 470 | 4.7% |
| Missouri | 5,820 | 450 | 4.5% |
| Minnesota | 5,630 | 430 | 4.3% |
| Oklahoma | 5,310 | 430 | 10.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,270 | 400 | 3.7% |
| Tennessee | 5,270 | 430 | 13.8% |
| Arizona | 5,050 | 380 | 3.5% |
| Maryland | 5,020 | 400 | 8.9% |
| Kentucky | 4,800 | 370 | 5.0% |
| Oregon | 4,390 | 360 | 12.3% |
| Mississippi | 3,150 | 250 | 6.8% |
| Kansas | 3,040 | 240 | 5.6% |
| Utah | 2,690 | 230 | 19.6% |
| New Hampshire | 2,670 | 210 | 7.7% |
| Connecticut | 2,520 | 200 | 11.0% |
| Maine | 2,400 | 180 | 1.7% |
| Nevada | 2,320 | 180 | 7.9% |
| Iowa | 2,260 | 180 | 8.7% |
| Arkansas | 2,250 | 170 | 4.7% |
| New Mexico | 2,240 | 180 | 8.2% |
| Rhode Island | 1,780 | 130 | 2.9% |
| Idaho | 1,730 | 130 | 5.5% |
| Alaska | 1,340 | 100 | 3.1% |
| West Virginia | 1,100 | 80 | 3.8% |
| Montana | 1,020 | 80 | 13.3% |
| Nebraska | 990 | 80 | 4.2% |
| North Dakota | 890 | 70 | 6.0% |
| Delaware | 660 | 50 | 4.8% |
| Wyoming | 640 | 50 | 8.5% |
| South Dakota | 580 | 40 | 3.6% |
| Vermont | 360 | 30 | 2.9% |
| Guam | 280 | 20 | 3.7% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Eastern Kentucky University
- Degrees each year
- 68
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
California State University-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 39
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000
Oregon State University
- Degrees each year
- 155
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Fayetteville State University
- Degrees each year
- 37
- Admit rate
- 80%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
- Degrees each year
- 36
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Degrees each year
- 33
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $7,000
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Degrees each year
- 129
- Admit rate
- 30%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
- Degrees each year
- 62
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000