Fire investigators and inspectors earned median annual salaries of $74,160 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Earnings ranged from $46,360 to $137,220. Fire investigators and inspectors in state government jobs earned approximately $66,060 a year, while those who were employed by local agencies earned $85,540.
As in all occupations, the experts receive higher wages, so private sector investigators’ earnings can go much higher (to the $150,000+ range) if they work as national expert witnesses.
Employers offer a variety of benefit packages, which can include any of the following: paid holidays, vacations, and sick days; personal days; medical, dental, and life insurance; retirement and pension plans; and educational assistance programs.
- Airport Security Personnel
- Armored Truck Drivers
- Bail Bondsmen
- Bodyguards
- Border Patrol Agents
- Bounty Hunters
- Chief Information Security Officers
- Construction Inspectors
- Corrections Officers
- Crime Analysts
- Cryptographic Technicians
- Customs Officials
- Cybersecurity Architects
- Deputy U.S. Marshals
- Detectives
- Directors of Security
- Emergency Management Directors
- Emergency Medical Technicians
- Emergency Services Dispatchers
- FBI Agents
- Fire Inspectors
- Fire Protection Engineers
- Fire Safety Directors
- Fire Safety Technicians
- Firefighters
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Forensic Experts
- Forest Fire Prevention Specialists
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators, and Analysts
- Genetic Genealogists
- Intelligence Officers
- Internet Security Specialists
- Locksmiths
- Loss Prevention Managers
- Park Rangers
- Parole Officers
- Personal Privacy Advisors
- Police Officers
- Polygraph Examiners
- Private Investigators
- Secret Service Special Agents
- Security Consultants
- Security Guards
- Security Systems Installers and Workers
- Wildland Firefighters