The Average Salary of a Fire Protection Engineer
A fire protection engineer is a professional who specializes in assisting private, public and military organizations safeguard their facilities from potential fire and related hazards. This includes consulting clients regarding property and structures to find ways to decrease potential hazards, or recommending materials and equipment to protect them from fire hazards.
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National Average
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Fire protection engineers sometimes moved into this role after being in other professions by taking additional training and coursework. Some colleges and universities offer degree programs in fire protection engineering, but many were employed as fire fighters, design engineers or in other engineering occupations. In October 2010, PayScale listed a national average base salary between $53,448 and $81,434 per year.
Additional Compensation
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Because many employers who hire these professionals offer consultative services regarding fire protection and charge a fee, they offer bonuses, commissions and profit sharing. Average bonuses ranged between $1,179 and $5,596 per year and profit sharing ranged between $2,750 and $7,241 per year. Commissions ranged between $6,500 and $20,000 per year. The total compensation package for all compensation combined ranged between $50,594 and $81,285 per year.
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Experience
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For fire protection engineers and most occupations, gaining professional experience increases salary. PayScale reported 35 percent of these professionals, with between one and four years of experience, earn average salaries ranging from $52,413 to $66,591 per year. Those with five to nine years of experience -- 20 percent -- had average salaries that ranged from $57,947 to $87,426 per year. Fire protection engineers with more than 20 years of experience earned the highest salaries, ranging between $54,926 and $109,697 per year.
Geography
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U.S. cities with the highest salaries were Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta. Washington, D.C., paid the highest wages, ranging from $67,471 to $88,540 per year. Cities where these occupations were very popular include Boston, where average salaries range from $52,450 to $59,618 per year, and Los Angeles, where average salaries range from $63,077 to $100,229 per year.
Growth
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A 2010 survey conducted by the Society for Fire Protection Engineers reported 4.2 percent annual growth in salary over the past three years. Of those survey respondents, 65 percent held the professional engineer's license and 43 percent held a bachelor's degree.
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References
- PayScale: Salary Snapshot for Fire Protection Engineer Jobs: National Salary Data
- PayScale: Salary Snapshot for Fire Protection Engineer Jobs: Median Salary by Years Experience
- CareerPlanner.com: Fire Protection Engineer Job Description and Jobs
- Society for Fire Protection Engineers: 2010 Profile of the Fire Protection Engineer
