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Fire Inspectors and Investigators

Protective Service · SOC 33-2021

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$75,920
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
1,300
Proj. Annual Openings
13,800
Employment (OEWS 2025)
+0.1%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 33-2021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
48/100
Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$75,920
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
1,300
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +3.8%.
Observed/proxy demand
FY— certified LCAs; 1,262 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Active ListeningWritingSpeakingCritical ThinkingReading Comprehension

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure2.6%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

31.3%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI28.8%
AI ability · AIOE65.1%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne48%

AI could do ~28.8% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.

Top Skills

1.Active Listening
2.Writing
3.Speaking
4.Critical Thinking
5.Reading Comprehension

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

Inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions.

Common titles: Arson Investigator, Fire Code Inspector, Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, Fire Official, Fire Prevention Inspector

Representative Tasks

  • Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
  • Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
  • Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers, such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
  • Conduct inspections and acceptance testing of newly installed fire protection systems.
  • Analyze evidence and other information to determine probable cause of fire or explosion.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Prepare investigation or incident reports.
  • Record information about suspects or criminals.
  • Testify at legal or legislative proceedings.
  • Process forensic or legal evidence in accordance with procedures.
  • Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotMicrosoft Access · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotCode database softwareConsolidated Model of Fire and Smoke Transport CFASTEmail softwareFire Dynamics Software FDSNational Fire Incident Reporting System NFIRS

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.7%
Avg AI Exposure
3
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 33-2021: 2019 — employment: 13,710, median wage: $61,660; 2020 — employment: 14,010, median wage: $64,610; 2021 — employment: 14,600, median wage: $64,600; 2022 — employment: 14,510, median wage: $69,450; 2023 — employment: 14,200, median wage: $74,160; 2025 — employment: 13,800, median wage: $75,920.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%2.6%
OutlookAverage19% Bright
Median Salary$75,920N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A