Fire Protection
Homeland Security & Law Enforcement
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $59,084 | $54,286 to $68,031 | 42 | 98% |
| Associate's Degree | $73,375 | $64,585 to $81,482 | 26 | 100% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,807 | $71,482 to $97,967 | 21 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +4% (2024 to 2034), about 150,900 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $136,550 | +4.5% | 106,700 |
| Firefighters | $59,530 | +3.4% | 27,100 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | $61,490 | +0.7% | 8,800 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $92,430 | +3.4% | 6,500 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $78,060 | +3.8% | 1,500 |
| Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | $52,380 | +14.6% | 300 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.