Firefighters
What they do
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About firefighters
Other titles
Fire Engineer, Fire Equipment Operator, Fire Fighter, Fire Management Specialist, Fire Technician (Fire Tech), Firefighter, Forest Fire Suppression Specialist, Forestry Fire Technician (Forestry Fire Tech), Hot Shot, Wildland Firefighter
Tasks they perform
- Rescue victims from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
- Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
- Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
Skills they need
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as firefighters.
Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Emergency Medical Technicians
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Fire Inspectors and Investigators
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about firefighters with these helpful sites.
- IAFF FireFighters (external link opens new tab)
- International Association of Black Professional Firefighters (external link opens new tab)
- International Association of Wildland Fire (external link opens new tab)
- International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services (external link opens new tab)
- National Fire Protection Association (external link opens new tab)
- National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (external link opens new tab)
- National Wildfire Suppression Association (external link opens new tab)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Firefighters (external link opens new tab)
- Society of American Foresters (external link opens new tab)
- Society of Fire Protection Engineers (external link opens new tab)