Fire Inspector/Investigator Salary in the United States
How much does a Fire Inspector/Investigator make in the United States?
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Fire Inspector/Investigator in the United States is $73,900 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.
However, a Fire Inspector/Investigator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $90,712
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $66,800 to $82,700
Key Factors That Influence Fire Inspector/Investigator Salaries
A Fire Inspector/Investigator's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Fire Inspector/Investigator Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Fire Inspector/Investigator's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $71,569
Early Career (1-2 years): $72,099
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $73,370
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $76,527
Expert (over 8 years): $77,840
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Fire Inspector/Investigator
$71,569
Intermediate Level Fire Inspector/Investigator
$72,099
Senior Level Fire Inspector/Investigator
$73,370
Specialist Level Fire Inspector/Investigator
$76,527
Expert Level Fire Inspector/Investigator
$77,840
$71,5690 yr
$72,099< 2 yrs
$73,3702-4 yrs
$76,5275-8 yrs
$77,840> 8 yrs
View as Table
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Fire Inspector/Investigator Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Fire Inspector/Investigators.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Top Paying Cities for Fire Inspector/Investigators
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $93,200
San Francisco: $92,200
Oakland: $90,200
San Jose, CA$93,200
San Francisco, CA$92,200
Oakland, CA$90,200
New York, NY$85,100
Paramus, NJ$84,100
Queens Village, NY$84,100
Passaic, NJ$84,000
Bergenfield, NJ$84,000
Huntington, NY$83,800
Stamford, CT$83,800
Newark, NJ$83,200
Bridgeport, CT$83,100
Vallejo, CA$82,900
New Brunswick, NJ$82,900
Petaluma, CA$82,900
Middlesex, NJ$82,700
Somerset, NJ$82,700
Santa Cruz, CA$82,600
Boston, MA$82,100
Monterey, CA$81,900
Seattle, WA$81,700
Santa Rosa, CA$81,700
Los Angeles, CA$81,700
Juneau, AK$81,500
Washington, DC$81,400
Orange, CA$81,100
Santa Ana, CA$80,900
Long Beach, CA$80,900
Anchorage, AK$80,800
Anaheim, CA$80,800
Santa Maria, CA$80,600
Everett, WA$80,600
Danbury, CT$80,300
Bremerton, WA$80,200
Tacoma, WA$79,900
New Suffolk, NY$79,900
Sacramento, CA$79,900
San Diego, CA$79,800
Trenton, NJ$79,800
Santa Barbara, CA$79,800
Brockton, MA$79,700
Fairbanks, AK$79,500
Lompoc, CA$79,300
Lowell, MA$79,200
Ventura, CA$79,200
Nashua, NH$79,200
Stockton, CA$79,200
Modesto, CA$78,700
Poughkeepsie, NY$78,500
Olympia, WA$78,400
Kennewick, WA$78,400
New Haven, CT$78,300
Lawrence, MA$78,100
Hartford, CT$78,000
Riverside, CA$78,000
New Bedford, MA$77,900
Richland, WA$77,900
Atlantic City, NJ$77,800
San Bernardino, CA$77,800
Bakersfield, CA$77,800
New Britain, CT$77,800
New London, CT$77,700
Norwich, CT$77,700
Portsmouth, NH$77,700
Boulder, CO$77,500
Portland, OR$77,400
Worcester, MA$77,400
Minneapolis, MN$77,200
Philadelphia, PA$77,100
Honolulu, HI$76,900
Saint Paul, MN$76,800
Vineland, NJ$76,800
Providence, RI$76,600
Chicago, IL$76,400
Bellingham, WA$76,300
Springfield, MA$76,200
Baltimore, MD$76,200
Chico, CA$76,000
Pittsfield, MA$75,800
Manchester, NH$75,700
Spokane, WA$75,400
Denver, CO$75,400
Albany, NY$75,000
Troy, NY$75,000
Nassau, NY$74,900
Schenectady, NY$74,800
Wilmington, DE$74,800
Burlington, VT$74,700
Salem, OR$74,600
Portland, ME$74,400
Yakima, WA$74,300
Rochester, MN$74,100
Reno, NV$74,100
Fresno, CA$74,100
Milwaukee, WI$74,000
Detroit, MI$73,900
Ann Arbor, MI$73,900
Allentown, PA$73,900
Colorado Springs, CO$73,800
Carson City, NV$73,700
Syracuse, NY$73,700
Houston, TX$73,600
Eugene, OR$73,600
Gary, IN$73,500
Springfield, OR$73,400
Bismarck, ND$73,400
Galveston, TX$73,400
Medford, OR$73,300
Austin, TX$73,200
Concord, NH$73,200
Fort Collins, CO$73,200
Mesa, AZ$73,000
Reading, PA$73,000
Phoenix, AZ$73,000
Dallas, TX$73,000
Saint Cloud, MN$72,900
Madison, WI$72,800
Utica, NY$72,600
Raleigh, NC$72,500
Des Moines, IA$72,500
Rochester, NY$72,500
Atlanta, GA$72,400
Battle Creek, MI$72,400
Salt Lake City, UT$72,300
Lancaster, PA$72,200
Harrisburg, PA$72,100
Pittsburgh, PA$72,000
Boca Raton, FL$72,000
Columbus, OH$72,000
Fort Worth, TX$72,000
Champaign, IL$72,000
Kansas City, KS$72,000
Kansas City, MO$72,000
Richmond, VA$71,900
Indianapolis, IN$71,900
Cleveland, OH$71,900
Las Vegas, NV$71,800
Cincinnati, OH$71,800
Petersburg, VA$71,700
Huntsville, AL$71,600
Lansing, MI$71,500
Lebanon, PA$71,500
Pueblo, CO$71,500
Appleton, WI$71,500
Buffalo, NY$71,500
Dayton, OH$71,500
Gastonia, NC$71,400
Elkhart, IN$71,400
York, PA$71,400
Charlotte, NC$71,400
Racine, WI$71,400
Saint Louis, MO$71,400
Billings, MT$71,300
Beaumont, TX$71,300
Lorain, OH$71,300
Benton Harbor, MI$71,300
Toledo, OH$71,300
Elyria, OH$71,200
Fargo, ND$71,200
Springfield, IL$71,200
Rock Hill, SC$71,200
Rockford, IL$71,200
Binghamton, NY$71,200
Flagstaff, AZ$71,100
Fort Lauderdale, FL$71,100
Duluth, MN$71,000
Miami, FL$71,000
Grand Forks, ND$71,000
Cheyenne, WY$71,000
Bangor, ME$70,800
Hialeah, FL$70,700
Grand Rapids, MI$70,700
Cedar Rapids, IA$70,700
Durham, NC$70,700
Louisville, KY$70,700
Casper, WY$70,600
Scranton, PA$70,500
Akron, OH$70,400
New Orleans, LA$70,400
Virginia Beach, VA$70,400
Sarasota, FL$70,300
Peoria, IL$70,300
Nashville, TN$70,200
Omaha, NE$70,200
Green Bay, WI$70,200
Baton Rouge, LA$70,200
Charleston, SC$70,200
Davenport, IA$70,200
Jamestown, NY$70,200
Tampa, FL$70,100
Saint Petersburg, FL$70,100
Tucson, AZ$70,100
Evansville, IN$70,000
Port Arthur, TX$70,000
Bradenton, FL$70,000
Santa Fe, NM$69,800
Orlando, FL$69,700
Clearwater, FL$69,700
High Point, NC$69,500
Newport News, VA$69,500
Albuquerque, NM$69,500
Canton, OH$69,500
La Crosse, WI$69,500
Ogden, UT$69,400
Corpus Christi, TX$69,400
Jacksonville, FL$69,300
Saginaw, MI$69,300
Salisbury, NC$69,300
Laramie, WY$69,300
Norfolk, VA$69,300
Rock Island, IL$69,300
Boise, ID$69,200
Moline, IL$69,200
Fort Myers, FL$69,200
Memphis, TN$69,200
Tulsa, OK$69,100
Waterloo, IA$69,100
Fort Wayne, IN$69,000
Spartanburg, SC$69,000
Lincoln, NE$69,000
Cedar Falls, IA$68,900
Provo, UT$68,900
San Antonio, TX$68,800
Greensboro, NC$68,800
South Bend, IN$68,800
Savannah, GA$68,700
Muskegon, MI$68,700
Birmingham, AL$68,700
Winston Salem, NC$68,600
Lake Charles, LA$68,500
Greenville, SC$68,400
Augusta, GA$68,400
Anderson, IN$68,400
Lexington, KY$68,400
Lima, OH$68,300
Wichita, KS$68,300
Tuscaloosa, AL$68,300
Columbia, SC$68,300
Springfield, OH$68,300
Bloomington, IN$68,100
Asheville, NC$68,100
Knoxville, TN$67,800
Shreveport, LA$67,800
Wilmington, NC$67,700
Roanoke, VA$67,700
Topeka, KS$67,600
Frankfort, KY$67,600
Melbourne, FL$67,500
Longview, TX$67,500
Oklahoma City, OK$67,500
Chillicothe, OH$67,500
Sioux Falls, SD$67,400
Mobile, AL$67,400
Terre Haute, IN$67,300
Altoona, PA$67,300
Killeen, TX$67,200
Amarillo, TX$67,200
Sioux City, IA$67,100
Chattanooga, TN$67,100
Fayetteville, AR$67,100
Idaho Falls, ID$67,000
Lynchburg, VA$67,000
Gainesville, FL$66,900
Clarksville, TN$66,800
Youngstown, OH$66,800
Daytona Beach, FL$66,800
Little Rock, AR$66,800
Portsmouth, OH$66,800
Lafayette, LA$66,800
Pensacola, FL$66,700
Temple, TX$66,700
Hopkinsville, KY$66,500
Erie, PA$66,500
Florence, SC$66,500
Charleston, WV$66,400
Great Falls, MT$66,300
Waco, TX$66,200
Fayetteville, NC$66,200
Tallahassee, FL$66,200
Macon, GA$66,200
Helena, MT$66,100
Pine Bluff, AR$66,100
Vincennes, IN$66,000
Lubbock, TX$66,000
Alamogordo, NM$65,900
Twin Falls, ID$65,900
Rapid City, SD$65,900
Greenville, MS$65,700
Jackson, MS$65,700
Huntington, WV$65,700
Parkersburg, WV$65,600
Montgomery, AL$65,600
Wichita Falls, TX$65,500
Springfield, MO$65,500
Biloxi, MS$65,500
Columbus, GA$65,400
Johnstown, PA$65,400
Monroe, LA$65,400
Sumter, SC$65,400
Pascagoula, MS$65,200
Abilene, TX$65,200
Kingsport, TN$65,000
Albany, GA$65,000
Gulfport, MS$65,000
Alexandria, LA$64,800
Fort Smith, AR$64,600
El Paso, TX$64,400
Las Cruces, NM$64,000
Harlingen, TX$63,800
Pocatello, ID$63,800
Florence, AL$63,700
Brownsville, TX$63,700
Mcallen, TX$63,600
Dothan, AL$63,500
Columbus, MS$63,000
Altus, OK$62,700
Lawton, OK$62,500
Pierre, SD$62,300
What Skills Can Increase a Fire Inspector/Investigator's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 6.87% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Safety Training (Mentioned in 3.86% Job Postings): Providing learning programs designed to train employees on precautionary processes and procedures to perform their duties safely and effectively.
Schematic (Mentioned in 2.32% Job Postings): A schematic, or schematic diagram, is a representation of the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Customer Service
6.87%
Safety Training
3.86%
Schematic
2.32%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Fire Inspector/Investigator's salary.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.
Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.
Hydraulics: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Analysis
$87,202
18%
Consulting
$87,202
18%
Hydraulics
$84,985
15%
Presentation
$83,507
13%
Coaching
$82,029
11%
Collaboration
$82,029
11%
Get Latest Data
Fire Inspector/Investigator Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Fire Inspector/Investigator salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $82,727.
While startup companies pay approximate $69,985.
Fire Inspector/Investigator Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$69,985
Growth Stage
51~500
$74,017
Established
501~5000
$79,887
Enterprise
5000+
$82,727
Fire Inspector/Investigator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Fire Inspector/Investigator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Construction and Insurance
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Fire Inspector/Investigator positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Internet typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Fire Inspector/Investigator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Fire Inspector/Investigator
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Construction
$96,070
$46.0
30%
Insurance
$92,375
$44.0
25%
Aerospace & Defense
$88,680
$43.0
20%
MFG Nondurable
$87,202
$42.0
18%
Healthcare
$84,985
$41.0
15%
Fire Inspector/Investigator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Fire Inspector/Investigator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$66,800
Average$73,900/year
$82,700
$5,567
Average$6,158/month
$6,892
$1,285
Average$1,421/week
$1,590
$32
Average$36/hour
$40
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$82,700
$6,892
$1,590
$40
Average
$73,900
$6,158
$1,421
$36
25th Percentile
$66,800
$5,567
$1,285
$32
Fire Inspector/Investigator Salary Growth & Career Path
Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings.
As a Fire Inspector/Investigator, you have the following paths for advancement.
The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles.
By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.
Fire Inspector/Investigator Salary Growth and Career Path
Next Step Role
Estimate Salary
Projected Raise
Campus Public Safety and Security Supervisor
$68,100
-8%
Emergency Communications Supervisor
$64,600
-13%
Salaries of jobs related to Fire Inspector/Investigator
Salaries for a Fire Inspector/Investigator can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary increased from $46,402 in 2023
to around $46,535 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Fire Inspector/Investigator salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Fire Inspector/Investigator Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$46,402
2024
$46,877
2025
$46,535
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$46,402
2024
$46,877
2025
$46,535
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Fire Inspector/Investigator
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Fire Inspector/Investigator
Here are companies hiring for Fire Inspector/Investigator and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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FAQ about Fire Inspector/Investigator
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Fire Inspector/Investigator?
The Construction industry offers the highest average compensation for Fire Inspector/Investigator roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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