First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Also called: Battalion Chief, Chief, Crew Boss, Crew Chief, Deputy Fire Marshal, Division Chief, Engine Boss, Engine Captain
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
What First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers do
Typical 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.
- Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
- Monitor fire suppression expenditures to ensure that they are necessary and reasonable.
- Direct the training of firefighters, assigning of instructors to training classes, and providing of supervisors with reports on training progress and status.
- Perform maintenance and minor repairs on firefighting equipment, including vehicles, and write and submit proposals to modify, replace, and repair equipment.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers salary
The median annual wage for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers is $93,530 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $53,430 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $140,010. The mean annual wage is $96,930.
The mean hourly wage of $46.00 is 6.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $93,530 → in 3 years $103,100 → in 5 years $109,900 → in 10 years $129,200 (10-year range $111,100–$150,000). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★★☆ Demanding (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.