Also called: Interagency Fire Dispatcher
Dispatches crews, engines, and aircraft to wildfires across public lands.
Wildland dispatchers track lightning strikes, send the first crews to new fires, order air tankers, and keep track of every firefighter's location during big fires. In fire season, their centers buzz around the clock.
Federal pay; overtime in fire season.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma; wildland fire dispatch training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Forestry, Emergency Management.
Growing about average. Approximate.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Lightning maps and ordering systems automate parts; tracking crews and aircraft on big fires stays human.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply on USAJOBS for seasonal fire dispatcher jobs in winter; dispatch or radio experience helps First: Seasonal government hiring: apply in winter for summer, plus a short training
Classes: Geography, Earth science, Keyboarding.
Official data: O*NET occupation 43-5031.
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.