Also called: Interagency Hotshot Crew Member
Part of an elite 20-person crew that fights the hottest, hardest parts of wildfires.
Hotshot crews hike into steep terrain with chainsaws and hand tools, cutting firelines for 16-hour shifts, sometimes for 14 days straight, sleeping on the ground.
Lots of overtime in fire season.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. High school diploma, fitness test, and wildland firefighting training.
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).
Low risk for 10 years. Fire-spread models and drones improve planning, but cutting fireline with chainsaws on steep ground can't be handed to robots soon.
Classes: PE/weight training, Earth Science, Small-engine or shop class, Health.
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.