Pay by state · 43 states
Fire Inspector and Investigator Salary by State (2026)
Fire Inspectors and Investigators earn the most in Washington at $122,900 a year and the least in Oklahoma at $37,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $75,920. All 43 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $122,900Washington
- National median
- $75,920BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $37,320Oklahoma
- States reporting
- 43of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Fire Inspector and Investigator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of fire inspectors and investigators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $122,900 | $95,640 | $130,740 | 380 | $114,846 |
| 2 | OROregon | $115,080 | $68,230 | $127,660 | N/A | $111,338 |
| 3 | CACalifornia | $99,230 | $79,370 | $122,730 | 1,350 | $89,622 |
| 4 | MDMaryland | $98,730 | $79,640 | $100,990 | 270 | $94,065 |
| 5 | NVNevada | $93,450 | $78,420 | $104,260 | 190 | $93,470 |
| 6 | COColorado | $85,750 | $79,260 | $99,280 | N/A | $83,210 |
| 7 | MNMinnesota | $84,410 | $69,540 | $96,920 | 230 | $85,590 |
| 8 | TXTexas | $82,390 | $69,370 | $94,710 | 1,030 | $84,888 |
| 9 | IAIowa | $81,860 | $54,310 | $95,760 | 30 | $93,275 |
| 10 | MAMassachusetts | $81,140 | $71,820 | $97,510 | 200 | $76,723 |
| 11 | CTConnecticut | $80,490 | $60,460 | $97,830 | 420 | $77,686 |
| 12 | NDNorth Dakota | $80,320 | $70,130 | $84,930 | 40 | $90,289 |
| 13 | ALAlabama | $78,110 | $61,780 | $80,460 | 40 | $87,939 |
| 14 | RIRhode Island | $78,100 | $61,670 | $87,690 | 50 | $76,359 |
| 15 | MIMichigan | $77,460 | $67,600 | $90,570 | 250 | $80,506 |
| 16 | MOMissouri | $77,240 | $44,460 | $85,710 | 110 | $85,050 |
| 17 | NENebraska | $76,770 | $56,120 | $86,840 | 60 | $85,202 |
| 18 | FLFlorida | $75,660 | $60,210 | $94,260 | 1,060 | $73,162 |
| 19 | NHNew Hampshire | $75,230 | $65,170 | $82,570 | 50 | $72,222 |
| 20 | AZArizona | $74,780 | $62,140 | $78,420 | 240 | $74,277 |
| 21 | NYNew York | $73,920 | $60,510 | $86,990 | 1,200 | $68,495 |
| 22 | INIndiana | $73,340 | $59,280 | $85,320 | 200 | $78,582 |
| 23 | IDIdaho | $72,810 | $66,960 | $97,700 | 30 | $76,246 |
| 24 | UTUtah | $72,760 | $58,720 | $84,460 | 60 | $73,596 |
| 25 | VAVirginia | $70,460 | $59,060 | $81,280 | 100 | $69,691 |
| 26 | NCNorth Carolina | $66,820 | $46,940 | $78,990 | 870 | $70,839 |
| 27 | WIWisconsin | $66,600 | $48,950 | $87,140 | 160 | $70,780 |
| 28 | LALouisiana | $64,820 | $47,700 | $82,190 | 80 | $73,486 |
| 29 | NMNew Mexico | $64,680 | $60,760 | $71,860 | 160 | $70,143 |
| 30 | GAGeorgia | $64,550 | $54,560 | $79,650 | 300 | $67,035 |
| 31 | KSKansas | $64,290 | $50,000 | $83,910 | 90 | $71,379 |
| 32 | TNTennessee | $63,400 | $52,880 | $80,460 | 390 | $69,011 |
| 33 | ILIllinois | $62,400 | $55,470 | $93,100 | 440 | $62,426 |
| 34 | SCSouth Carolina | $61,890 | $55,150 | $76,910 | 110 | $66,017 |
| 35 | NJNew Jersey | $60,100 | $48,620 | $81,080 | 1,290 | $55,236 |
| 36 | OHOhio | $59,280 | $49,690 | $75,230 | 520 | $63,897 |
| 37 | PAPennsylvania | $59,080 | $37,220 | $77,190 | 280 | $60,550 |
| 38 | MEMaine | $58,240 | $36,050 | $79,430 | N/A | $60,010 |
| 39 | ARArkansas | $57,990 | $45,270 | $74,050 | 40 | $66,703 |
| 40 | KYKentucky | $55,970 | $48,520 | $61,360 | 100 | $62,079 |
| 41 | MSMississippi | $55,260 | $49,280 | $61,660 | 140 | $63,552 |
| 42 | WVWest Virginia | $52,490 | $46,440 | $59,520 | 70 | $58,650 |
| 43 | OKOklahoma | $37,320 | $32,180 | $65,330 | 160 | $42,485 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Fire Inspectors and Investigators, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $122,900, while Washington leads once prices are taken into account at $114,846.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Fire Inspector and Investigator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Fire Inspectors and Investigators the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Fire Inspectors and Investigators at $122,900 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Oregon ($115,080) and California ($99,230).
Which state pays Fire Inspectors and Investigators the least?
Oklahoma reports the lowest median for Fire Inspectors and Investigators at $37,320 a year, $85,580 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Fire Inspectors and Investigators earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Washington first at $114,846 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $122,900. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.