How to become a First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

Official title: First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

Also called: Battalion Chief, Engine Boss, Fire Battalion Chief, Fire Captain, Fire Chief, Fire Lieutenant, Fire Marshal, Fire Suppression Captain, Forest Fire Specialist Supervisor, Section Forest Fire Warden

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.

Main tasks

• Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
• Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
• Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
• Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
• Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
• Evaluate size, location, and condition of fires.
• Instruct and drill fire department personnel in assigned duties, including firefighting, medical care, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and related subjects.
• Recruit or hire firefighting personnel.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Fire Captain.
• Apprenticeship: Fire Prevention Officer.
• Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services; Fire Prevention and Safety Technology/Technician; Fire Services Administration

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $93,530 a year The middle half earn $72,140 to $119,500.
• About 101,600 people work in this job now, and about 105,400 are projected by 2035. (+3.7%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
• First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
• First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers?

Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Fire Captain.

How much does a First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $93,530 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $72,140 to $119,500.

Is a First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 101,600 to about 105,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers?

Not always. 35% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Fire Captain.

Will AI change the work of a First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database 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.