How to become a Fire Safety Engineer
Studies, designs and develops fire protection strategies to analyse, prevent and mitigate fire risk in various structures and environments.
Main tasks
- Designs fire detection, fire suppression and fire control systems and equipment
- Assesses and rates fire risks to ensure buildings comply with existing fire safety legislation and regulations
- Analyses building designs to develop fire strategies, including fire escape routes, safety systems and facilities for fire services
- Studies causes of fires and provides solutions to prevent them
- Uses computer modelling to simulate and understand fire, test safety levels and validate fire prevention systems
- Designs strategies to protect people and their environment from fire
Ways in
- University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 34 universities in Australia
- TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Emergency Response and Rescue (RII30719); Certificate III in Fire Protection (CPC32820); Certificate III in Fire Protection Control (UEE31020); Certificate III in Fire Protection Inspection and Testing (CPP30821); Diploma of Bushfire Protection Assessment (CPP51222); Diploma of Fire Systems Design (CPC50520)
- Licence or registration: Registration or licensing may be required.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Typical full-time pay: $137,748 a year
- About 17,100 people work in this job group now, and about 21,000 are projected by 2035. (+23%)
- AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
Related jobs
- Acoustic Engineer
- Aerospace Engineer
- Biomedical Engineer
- Engineering Technologist
- Environmental Engineer
- Mechatronics Engineer
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Fire Safety Engineer?
Ways in include: Engineering degrees; Certificate III in Emergency Response and Rescue; Certificate III in Fire Protection.
How much does a Fire Safety Engineer earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $137,748 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is a Fire Safety Engineer a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 23% by 2035, from about 17,100 to about 21,000 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Fire Safety Engineer?
Usually. 82% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Fire Safety Engineer?
AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04