Also called: Forestry Technician (Fire), Engine Crew Member, Hand Crew Member, Helitack
Fights wildfires on hand crews, engine crews, or helicopter crews by cutting firelines and putting out hot spots.
You hike up steep slopes carrying a Pulaski (half axe, half hoe) and dig a line down to bare dirt to stop the fire. Shifts can last 16 hours, then you sleep in a tent at fire camp. Many start as 18-year-olds on seasonal crews.
Base pay is modest; overtime and hazard pay during fire season add a lot.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. Basic wildland firefighter training (about a week) and a work capacity 'pack test'.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Fire Science, Forestry.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Firefighters overall; wildland demand is growing.
Low risk for 10 years. Drones and AI help map fire edges; cutting line and mopping up hot spots on steep ground stay human.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply on USAJOBS or your state forestry agency in fall and winter; they run the week of basic fire training First: Basic fire training (S-130/S-190, about a week) and the pack test
Classes: PE or weight training, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-2011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.