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Boston Career Explorer

Protective Service

Fire Inspectors and Investigators

Inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions.

Also called: Arson Investigator, Fire Code Inspector, Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, Fire Official, Fire Prevention Inspector

Median pay in Greater Boston
$83,410
$40.10/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
130
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+4.5%
10 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Postsecondary nondegree award
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training; 5 years or more of related work experience

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$58,030$80,340$83,410$125,460$125,460

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
  • Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
  • Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers, such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
  • Conduct inspections and acceptance testing of newly installed fire protection systems.
  • Analyze evidence and other information to determine probable cause of fire or explosion.
  • Photograph damage and evidence related to causes of fires or explosions to document investigation findings.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure51 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 48
  • Language-model AIOE 42
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 62

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is moderate, while observed AI use is little or none. AI tools can help with writing reports, keeping records, and sorting through information about a fire's cause. Inspecting systems on site, collecting evidence, and testifying in court rely on people.

Likely to change

  • Drafting and keeping investigation reports and records
  • Sorting evidence and information about fire causes

Still relies on people

  • Testifying in court about fires and arson
  • Inspecting buildings and fire systems in person

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

4 programs near Boston

Related occupations

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