Firefighters
SOC Code: 33-2011
Firefighters carries a 25% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $59,530 and +3.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 344,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 25% AI exposure, Firefighters sits 12 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 15% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
64/100
Firefighters, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C- $59,530
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C +3.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A 25% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Firefighters in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Average (378/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Firefighters sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Firefighters sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
25% Among the lowest lower than 85% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Firefighters vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Firefighters is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Firefighters's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 33-2011) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Firefighters be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Firefighters. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Registered Apprenticeship Pathway Available
Firefighters is a recognized registered apprenticeship occupation under the DOL RAPIDS system. Earn while you train, apprentices typically start at ~$16/hr and reach $28–$46/hr upon completion, depending on the specific trade and region.
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Rescue survivors from burning buildings, accident sites, and water hazards.
- 2. Dress with equipment such as fire-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus.
- 3. Assess fires and situations and report conditions to superiors to receive instructions, using two-way radios.
- 4. Move toward the source of a fire, using knowledge of types of fires, construction design, building materials, and physical layout of properties.
- 5. Respond to fire alarms and other calls for assistance, such as automobile and industrial accidents.
- 6. Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance, using axes, chisels, crowbars, electric saws, or core cutters.
- 7. Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
- 8. Inspect fire sites after flames have been extinguished to ensure that there is no further danger.
- 9. Position and climb ladders to gain access to upper levels of buildings, or to rescue individuals from burning structures.
- 10. Select and attach hose nozzles, depending on fire type, and direct streams of water or chemicals onto fires.
Key Skills Required
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Service Orientation
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Building and Construction
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Telecommunications
- Administration and Management
- Transportation
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Firefighters?
Firefighters has an AI exposure score of 25%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Firefighters?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Firefighters is projected to grow by 3.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 344,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Firefighters?
Key skills for Firefighters include Critical Thinking, Coordination, Service Orientation, and others. Typical entry-level education is Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much do Firefighters earn?
The median annual wage for Firefighters is $59,530, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Firefighters?
The typical entry-level education for Firefighters is Postsecondary nondegree award. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Firefighters?
Firefighters roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Firefighters: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (25% here).
- Dermatologists · AI exposure 25%
- Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors · AI exposure 25%
- Funeral attendants · AI exposure 25%
- Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters · AI exposure 25%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+3.4% here).
- Amusement and recreation attendants · growth +3.4%
- Child, family, and school social workers · growth +3.4%
- Conservation scientists · growth +3.4%
- Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers · growth +3.4%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 14 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Firefighters' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Firefighters side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).