This page covers Fire Protection as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Criminal Justice and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Fire Protection is a focused area of study within Criminal Justice. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $86,436 four years out, a strong return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 488 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 13,533 students complete it each year, most walking away with a associate's. Coursework pairs research methods with the applied study of people and institutions.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$67,101
Median Earnings · 4yr
$86,436
Colleges Offering
488
Graduates / Year
13,533
Avg Net Price / yr
$8,469
How Much Do Fire Protection Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Fire Protection, a typical graduate earns $86,436, well above average for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $62,692 and $114,175, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Source: College Scorecard.
Earnings grow steadily as you advance past entry-level roles. The four-year figure is a better long-term target.
$86,436
4-Year National Median
Well above average for college graduates.
$87,428
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Fire Protection graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Degree level and sector drive the gap. Graduate-level government and research roles anchor the top; entry-level social services and nonprofit roles anchor the bottom.
$62,69225th pct.
$86,436Median
$114,17575th pct.
Why This Program Pays Off Fast
Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $86,436 against an estimated $33,876 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.
Based on outcomes from 52 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 13,533 students who complete Fire Protection programs each year, the majority (53%) earn a associate's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
53%20%
Associate's53%
Bachelor's20%
Certificate14%
What Can You Do With a Fire Protection Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Fire Protection graduates show up in 4 different occupations, and First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers pay the most at $93,530/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingSocial PerceptivenessJudgment and Decision MakingReading Comprehension
Day-to-day responsibilities
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeakingWritingReading Comprehension
Day-to-day responsibilities
Inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions.
Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers, such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
Teach vocational courses intended to provide occupational training below the baccalaureate level in subjects such as construction, mechanics/repair, manufacturing, transportation, or cosmetology, primarily to students who have graduated from or left high school. Teaching takes place in public or private schools whose primary business is academic or vocational education.
Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement.
Present lectures and conduct discussions to increase students' knowledge and competence using visual aids, such as graphs, charts, videotapes, and slides.
Supervise and monitor students' use of tools and equipment.
Critical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingCoordinationService OrientationMonitoring
Day-to-day responsibilities
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.
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.
Top Colleges for Fire Protection
Not sure where to study Fire Protection? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Fire Protection graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Criminal Justice Programs
Fire Protection is not the only path through Criminal Justice: 4 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Fire Protection program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
The data on Fire Protection shows 4 measurable strengths and 1 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
PROS
Strong median salaryGraduates earn $86,436 nationally four years out, placing this field above most degree programs in the country.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 43,000 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
Wide availabilityOffered at 488 colleges nationwide, with options at every price point and institution type.
High upside potentialTop earners (75th percentile) in this program reach $114,175, a strong ceiling for high performers.
CONS
Declining roles in some areas1 related career show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
Fire Protection Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Fire Protection graduates earn?
$86,436 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $62,692 and $114,175, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Fire Protection degree?
$67,101 in the first year out. That grows to $86,436 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Fire Protection degree?
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers are one path, and it pays a median of $93,530 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Fire Protection program take?
Two years full-time at a community college for a Fire Protection associate degree. Many students use it as a stepping stone, transferring to a four-year school afterward to finish a bachelor's.
How many colleges offer Fire Protection?
488 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Fire Protection degree worth it?
$86,436 median earnings four years out against $8,469 a year in average net price. That is a fast payback, and it holds up especially well at lower-cost schools. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Fire Protection and Criminal Justice?
Fire Protection is the narrower of the two: Criminal Justice covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Fire Protection-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Fire Protection graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Fire Protection graduates consistently look for research methodology, interpersonal communication, and policy understanding. Experience with surveys, qualitative interviews, or statistical tools is often a differentiator in government, nonprofit, and research roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Fire Protection graduates?
It can be. At a median salary of $86,436, graduate study in Fire Protection tends to meaningfully raise long-term income, particularly through specialized or professional programs tied to high-demand roles. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
What is the job outlook for Fire Protection graduates?
Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average +2.8% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Fire Inspector is among the strongest-growth roles at +4.2%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Criminal Justice Programs
Other programs in Criminal Justice. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Choose a Major Pillar
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
The real cost of a second major, when it pays back and when it doesn't, and why a focused single major with a relevant minor often beats a double major.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
Major earnings
Highest paying majors
Job growth
STEM
Field of study
Does Engineering Tech Out-Earn Engineering? The Data Says No
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
Engineering
Program earnings
Applied degree
Technician careers
STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
Engineering pay
Computer science
Program earnings
Major choice
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
