Also called: Wildland Firefighter Parachutist
Parachutes out of airplanes into remote forests to fight wildfires.
Smokejumpers fly to fires deep in wilderness, jump into tiny clearings, and then dig firelines for days carrying everything on their backs. Only about 400 exist in the US, and most first spend years on hotshot crews.
Estimate; seasonal overtime and hazard pay add a lot.
High school diploma, about 4 years after high school. Several seasons of wildland firefighting experience, then rigorous smokejumper rookie training with the Forest Service or BLM.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Forestry, Fire Science.
Growing faster than average. Wildfire seasons are getting longer.
Low risk for 10 years. Drones and AI fire maps help scout, but jumping in and digging line by hand in roadless wilderness stays human work.
Classes: PE/weight training, Earth Science, Health/first aid, Shop class.
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.