How to become a fire investigator
Official title: Fire investigator
Also called: Fire research scientist, Fire research technologist, Forensic fire scene investigator, Fire inspector
Fire investigators inspect buildings and other sites to detect fire hazards and the cause of fires and explosions.
Main tasks
- Write fire investigation and incident reports
- Inspect buildings and sites for fire hazards
- Investigate the cause of fires
- Process criminal evidence and testify in court
- Inspect fire fighting and fire prevention equipment
- Identify and assess trends in fire occurrences
- Educate people about fire safety
- Test materials and products for fire regulations
How to become one
You usually need experience to become a fire investigator and a qualification may be useful. You usually need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a driver licence; to pass a police check; to pass a medical assessment and fitness test. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a bachelor's degree in science or engineering; a Graduate Certificate in Fire Investigation from Charles Sturt University (Australia); to complete the Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) Programme through the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI).
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $76,000 to $125,000 a year (median $107,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $65,000 a year · Upper: $145,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 75 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Emergency management adviser
- Forensic specialist
- Forest fire inspector and prevention specialist
- Emergency dispatcher
- Air force aviator
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Questions people ask
How do I become a fire investigator?
You usually need experience to become a fire investigator and a qualification may be useful. You usually need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a driver licence; to pass a police check; to pass a medical assessment and fitness test. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a bachelor's degree in science or engineering; a Graduate Certificate in Fire Investigation from Charles Sturt University (Australia); to complete the Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) Programme through the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI).
How much does a fire investigator earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $107,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $76,000 to $125,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a fire investigator grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026