Firefighter Career Guide

It may seem like firefighters spend their days heroically carrying people from burning buildings (which, of course, sometimes, they do!), but firefighters are also involved with multiple other aspects of fire safety and prevention that often go unseen by the general public.

Firefighting offers exciting, dynamic work where every day is different. As a firefighter, your role involves fire safety awareness, fire prevention checks and support, assisting other emergency services, and many other tasks.

Along with the fire service, other essential roles contribute to keeping communities safe from potential fires, including fire safety officers, inspectors, educators, and fire protection technicians.

In this career guide, we’ll take a closer look at two roles in fire safety: firefighter and fire engineer.

 

Potential Roles in Firefighting

---

The fire service plays an integral role in our communities, helping to keep us all safe from fire. However, the physical and emotional demands are high, and this career path doesn’t suit everybody. If you’re interested in a career in fire safety outside of the fire service, there are other avenues to explore that focus more on fire prevention and managing risk.

Firefighters are at the front line of fire safety. They respond to emergencies, protect lives, extinguish fires, and educate local communities and businesses on fire safety. A firefighter job holds a respected status and involves varied and interesting work. Many firefighters enjoy the camaraderie and company of working closely in a team.

Fire engineers, also known as fire safety or fire protection engineers, are responsible for keeping people, communities and environments as safe from fire as possible. They can specialise in a specific area, for example, ensuring buildings adhere to fire regulations to mitigate fire risk and keep occupants safe, protecting certain areas from devastating wildfires, or researching fire dynamics and science. A fire engineer job offers diverse opportunities that can take you around the world, particularly with the growing effects of the climate change crisis.

 

Salary and Career Progression

---

Fire experts must gain experience and skills to work up the ladder to gain a solid grounding and foundation in fire safety before taking on more responsibility.

Firefighters start their careers as qualified firefighters after undertaking specialist training. With experience, they can work their way up through the ranks, earning more money as they do. The ranks and salaries for the UK and US are as follows.

UK

• Ranks: Firefighter, Crew Manager, Watch Manager, Station Manager, Group Manager, Area Manager, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Chief Fire Officer.
• Salary: Starting salary is £32,444 after training, rising to over £60,000 for the most senior firefighters. Salaries are higher for firefighters in London.

US

• Ranks: Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician (optional), Driver (optional), Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief and Fire Chief.
• Salary: Salaries can vary depending on the state, but on average, firefighters in the US earn $40,000 to $60,000 per year. There may be opportunities to earn more by taking on additional roles and responsibilities.

Fire engineers have plenty of scope for career progression, either by specialising in one area, such as commercial buildings or product development. An experienced fire engineer can move up the ladder by working for bigger or more prestigious employers or by becoming an independent consultant. Salaries can vary significantly, reflecting the scope of work on offer. As a rough guide, UK-based fire engineers can expect to start at around £26,000 per year, earning up to £60,000 or much more with experience. The average fire engineer’s salary in the US is around $110,000.

 

Qualifications, Education and Experience

---

Firefighters must undergo specialist training to qualify before starting their career. Note that the requirements in the United States can vary between states, and this is simply a guide.

The following qualifications, education and experience are required:

• High School Diploma or GED Certificate (US)
• 5 or more GCSEs at grades 4-9 (UK)
• A Bachelor’s degree in any subject may be advantageous but is not compulsory
• Completion of the firefighting training specified by your local/national service
• Passing the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) to show adequate physical fitness (US)
• Passing the National Firefighter Selection and the Personal Qualities and Attributes tests (UK)
• Driving license, if applicable to the role

Fire engineers must have the following:

• 5 GCSEs at grade 5 or above
• 2-3 A Levels to access university
• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject, like Engineering or Fire and Leadership Studies
• A Professional Engineer License from your state licensing board (US) or the Engineering Council (UK) to advance to senior roles
• An apprenticeship at a fire engineering firm
• Professional qualifications from a recognised board, such as The Institute of Fire Engineers (UK)

 

Skills

---

Firefighters need a broad range of skills, including:

• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to follow instructions
• Bravery
• Physical fitness
• Excellent communication skills
• Confidence
• Work well under pressure
• Quick reactions
• Remain calm in stressful situations
• Emotional intelligence and resilience
• Sound judgement

Fire engineers must possess the following skills:

• Good understanding of mathematical and scientific principles
• Logical thinking
• Attention to detail
• An interest in fire and fire safety
• IT skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Good communication skills

 

Working Hours

---

Firefighters work shifts to provide a round-the-clock fire service. Shift patterns can vary depending on location and employer, but night cover is required, as is weekend and evening work.

Fire engineers typically work more standard office hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, with weekends off. However, depending on your specific role and responsibilities, you may need to cover emergencies or work outside of these hours for specific projects or to meet a deadline.

 

Notable Locations

---

Every inhabited land in the developed world has some form of fire service, so the job opportunities cover almost any region globally. Densely populated areas, in particular, can offer plenty of jobs for firefighters and fire engineers, including:

• New York City, NY.
• Los Angeles, USA.
• Houston, TX, USA.
• London, UK.
• Glasgow, UK.
• Liverpool, UK.

 

Notable Companies

---

• Fire Department New York, USA – One of the world’s largest fire departments that employs thousands of firefighters.
• Los Angeles Fire Department, USA – Covers mixed terrain, including densely populated cities and open rural land, susceptible to wildfire.
• London Fire Brigade, UK – A busy force that responds to emergencies across the 600+ square miles of the city and serves almost 9 million inhabitants.
• West Midlands Fire Service, UK – Serves a large area, including the UK’s second-largest city, Birmingham.

 

Next Steps

---

Sign up to JobLookup for the latest firefighter and fire safety jobs straight to your inbox. To start your job search today, read The Ultimate Jobseeker Guide for tips and advice on landing your next role.