Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
Occupation · SOC 33-2022.00
Enforce fire regulations, inspect forest for fire hazards, and recommend forest fire prevention or control measures. May report forest fires and weather conditions.
Also called: Fire Management Officer · Fire Prevention Technician · Forest Officer · Forest Patrolman · Fire Operations Forester · Fire Prevention Officer · Fire Technician · Forestry Patrolman · Wildfire Mitigation Specialist · Wildfire Prevention Specialist · District Ranger · Environmental Protection Fire Control Officer
Job family: Protective Service Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-33-2022-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Growing fast employment outlook (+14.6% by 2034)
- 300 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $52,380/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
26th-percentile task overlap — yet about 300 openings a year (+14.6% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 42nd | -0.2 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 33rd | 0.3 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 10th | 0.0 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.2), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.3). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.0 · 23rd percentile among occupations · Low
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Growing fast · +14.6% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 300 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 2,900 → 3,300 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists sits at the 47th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
26% mean task exposure (2025)
47th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−16 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Physical and Engineering Science Technicians Not Elsewhere Classified · 3119 | 26% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions. Core · importance 4.6
- Conduct wildland firefighting training. Core · importance 4.3
- Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone. Core · importance 4.3
- Direct crews working on firelines during forest fires. Core · importance 4.3
- Locate forest fires on area maps, using azimuth sighters and known landmarks. Core · importance 4.3
- Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes. Core · importance 4.2
- Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena. Core · importance 4.1
- Compile and report meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity, and types of cloud formations. Core · importance 4.1
- Examine and inventory firefighting equipment, such as axes, fire hoses, shovels, pumps, buckets, and fire extinguishers, to determine amount and condition. Core · importance 4.0
- Educate the public about fire safety and prevention. Core · importance 4.0
- Direct maintenance and repair of firefighting equipment, or requisition new equipment. Core · importance 3.9
- Maintain records and logbooks. Core · importance 3.8
- Administer regulations regarding sanitation, fire prevention, violation corrections, and related forest regulations. Core · importance 3.6
- Restrict public access and recreational use of forest lands during critical fire seasons. Core · importance 3.6
- Inspect camp sites to ensure that campers are in compliance with forest use regulations. Core · importance 3.4
- Inspect forest tracts and logging areas for fire hazards such as accumulated wastes or mishandling of combustibles, and recommend appropriate fire prevention measures. Core · importance 3.2
Emerging tasks
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
- Operate drones to monitor and assess fire conditions, track fire progress, and identify safe access points for firefighters.
Work activities
- Relay information about incidents or emergencies to personnel using phones or two-way radios.
- Direct fire fighting or prevention activities.
- Assess characteristics of fires.
- Operate firefighting equipment.
- Locate fires or fire danger areas.
- Maintain operational records.
- Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning.
- Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
- Block physical access to restricted areas.
- Patrol natural areas to ensure safety or enforce regulations.
- Monitor environmental conditions to detect hazards.
- Record information about environmental conditions.
- Inspect facilities to ensure compliance with security or safety regulations.
- Inspect facilities to ensure compliance with fire regulations.
- Recommend improvements to increase safety or reduce risks.
- Train personnel to enhance job skills.
- Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
- Train employees in proper work procedures.
- Provide educational information to the public.
- Educate the public about fire safety or prevention.
- Provide safety training.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
Essential skills
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | |
| Speaking | 3.8 | |
| Active Listening | 3.6 | |
| Monitoring | 3.4 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Writing | 3.1 | |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
Abilities
| Oral Expression | 4.0 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.0 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.6 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.5 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.5 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.5 | |
| Far Vision | 3.5 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.4 | |
| Written Expression | 3.3 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.3 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.1 | |
| Speed of Closure | 3.1 |
Transferable skills
| Coordination | 3.8 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.5 | |
| Instructing | 3.3 | |
| Time Management | 3.1 | |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.1 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Showing the top 40 of 42.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services , Natural Resources and Conservation . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 31.6% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 24.0% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 17.9% | |
| Some College Courses | 17.5% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 8.9% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Work styles
| Dependability | 9.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 8.0 | |
| Integrity | 7.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 6.0 | |
| Self-Control | 5.0 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 4.0 | |
| Perseverance | 3.0 |
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 6.3 | |
| Conventional | 4.6 | |
| Investigative | 3.6 | |
| Enterprising | 3.4 | |
| Social | 3.2 |
Interest areas
| Nature/Outdoors | 6.3 | |
| Protective Service | 4.5 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 4.4 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 3.0 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $33,590 |
| 25th percentile | $41,000 |
| Median (50th) | $52,380 |
| 75th percentile | $77,780 |
| 90th percentile | $100,450 |
| People employed | 2,780 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities · Sector | — | $108,060 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | — | $50,370 |
Related occupations
Part of the Energy & Natural Resources and Public Service & Safety career clusters.
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers · 33-1021.00 Compare →
- Firefighters · 33-2011.00 Compare →
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators · 33-2021.00 Compare →
- Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers · 17-2111.02 Compare →
- Forest and Conservation Technicians · 19-4071.00 Compare →
- Foresters · 19-1032.00 Compare →
- Emergency Management Directors · 11-9161.00 Compare →
- Range Managers · 19-1031.02 Compare →
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists · 19-5011.00 Compare →
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers · 45-1011.00 Compare →
- Forest and Conservation Workers · 45-4011.00 Compare →
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors · 17-2111.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services · field of study
- Natural Resources and Conservation · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 47th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists show 26th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 300 annual U.S. openings
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists rank in the 26th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 300 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+14.6%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $52,380, across about 2,780 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists show 26th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 300 annual U.S. openings • Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists rank in the 26th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 300 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+14.6%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $52,380, across about 2,780 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-33-2022-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-33-2022-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-33-2022-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-33-2022-00,
title = {Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-33-2022-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.