Also called: Parachuting Firefighter
An elite wildland firefighter who parachutes into remote wilderness to attack fires early.
Smokejumpers fly to fires deep in the backcountry, jump out of planes with parachutes, and fight the fire with hand tools, sometimes for days before hiking out with 100+ pound packs. There are only about 400 in the U.S.
Federal GS pay; overtime and hazard pay often add 50%+ in busy seasons.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 3 years after high school. Several seasons of wildland firefighting experience; intense rookie training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Forestry, Fire Science.
Growing slowly. Very small, elite workforce.
Low risk for 10 years. Drones scout fires; jumping in and cutting line with hand tools in the wilderness stays human.
Classes: PE / strength training, Earth science, Health / first aid.
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.