Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

33-2021 Fire Inspectors and Investigators

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
12,560 1.6 % $27.45 $57,100 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $16.62 $20.62 $25.64 $33.52 $41.92
Annual Wage (2) $34,580 $42,880 $53,330 $69,720 $87,200


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government (OES Designation) 9,360 0.17 $28.28 $58,820
State Government (OES Designation) 2,130 0.09 $23.38 $48,640
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities 160 0.02 $35.60 $74,050
Investigation and Security Services 140 0.02 $23.05 $47,950
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 110 0.00 $26.29 $54,690

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government (OES Designation) 9,360 0.17 $28.28 $58,820
State Government (OES Designation) 2,130 0.09 $23.38 $48,640
Investigation and Security Services 140 0.02 $23.05 $47,950
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities 160 0.02 $35.60 $74,050
Other Support Services 30 0.01 $21.22 $44,150

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities 160 0.02 $35.60 $74,050
Insurance Carriers 110 0.01 $35.21 $73,240
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (8) (8) $33.18 $69,010
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 30 0.01 $30.61 $63,670
Local Government (OES Designation) 9,360 0.17 $28.28 $58,820


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 1,820 0.13 1.33 $31.81 $66,160
New Jersey 1,120 0.30 3.04 $27.80 $57,830
Florida 940 0.13 1.34 $29.02 $60,360
New York 770 0.09 0.94 $28.85 $60,000
Texas 730 0.07 0.73 $27.09 $56,340




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 1,120 0.30 3.04 $27.80 $57,830
Delaware 110 0.27 2.77 $22.60 $47,000
Connecticut 390 0.24 2.46 $23.24 $48,330
New Hampshire 100 0.16 1.65 $30.59 $63,630
South Carolina 260 0.15 1.49 $20.02 $41,630




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 150 0.13 1.34 $38.21 $79,470
Washington 240 0.09 0.91 $36.31 $75,530
Oregon 160 0.10 1.01 $36.08 $75,040
California 1,820 0.13 1.33 $31.81 $66,160
Colorado (8) (8) (8) $31.79 $66,130





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 670 0.13 1.35 $29.01 $60,350
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 360 0.31 3.19 $25.54 $53,120
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 310 0.12 1.24 $29.29 $60,930
Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division 300 0.31 3.15 $28.13 $58,520
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 240 0.06 0.64 $46.35 $96,400
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 210 0.12 1.18 $23.87 $49,660
Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division 180 0.37 3.76 $26.98 $56,110
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 180 0.33 3.40 $20.54 $42,730
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 180 0.19 1.96 $28.43 $59,140
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 170 0.05 0.47 $30.61 $63,670




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rochester-Dover, NH-ME 30 0.65 6.68 $43.55 $90,580
Chico, CA 40 0.65 6.60 $21.85 $45,460
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 50 0.61 6.20 $30.84 $64,140
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 70 0.39 3.94 $38.22 $79,490
Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division 180 0.37 3.76 $26.98 $56,110
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 180 0.33 3.40 $20.54 $42,730
Salinas, CA 50 0.33 3.38 $25.18 $52,380
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 40 0.33 3.38 $25.39 $52,810
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 360 0.31 3.19 $25.54 $53,120
Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division 300 0.31 3.15 $28.13 $58,520




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 50 0.05 0.49 $48.94 $101,790
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 50 0.05 0.49 $46.74 $97,230
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 240 0.06 0.64 $46.35 $96,400
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA 40 0.22 2.22 $45.64 $94,940
Rochester-Dover, NH-ME 30 0.65 6.68 $43.55 $90,580
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 100 0.11 1.16 $40.25 $83,720
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 90 0.06 0.64 $39.73 $82,650
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 40 0.03 0.33 $39.56 $82,290
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 100 0.10 1.00 $38.24 $79,530
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 70 0.39 3.94 $38.22 $79,490

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 60 0.19 1.93 $19.41 $40,370
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 50 0.30 3.05 $25.73 $53,520
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.54 5.47 $23.00 $47,840
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 50 0.21 2.11 $19.06 $39,650
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 2.40 $23.32 $48,500

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 30 0.54 5.53 $28.62 $59,540
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.54 5.47 $23.00 $47,840
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 50 0.30 3.05 $25.73 $53,520
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 2.40 $23.32 $48,500
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 50 0.21 2.11 $19.06 $39,650

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 30 0.54 5.53 $28.62 $59,540
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 50 0.30 3.05 $25.73 $53,520
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 2.40 $23.32 $48,500
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.54 5.47 $23.00 $47,840
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.15 1.54 $21.50 $44,720


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012