← All 785 jobsFile 33-2021
Fire Inspectors and Investigators
Lightly edited
AI performs some of this work. Most of it still needs a person. The BLS expects 4.2% more of these jobs by 2035, faster than the 3.5% average.
- Rank
- #312 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- +4.2% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $75,920 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 14,700 in the US, with about 1,600 openings a year
The work, 24 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
Still yours: Inspect facilities or equipment12%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Teach safety procedures or standards to others8%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,672 Copilot conversations and completed it 96% of the time.
Still yours: Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment7%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Investigate incidents or accidents7%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,241 conversations, and it got them there 81% of the time.
AI helps with this: Issue documentation5%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,236 conversations, and it got them there 93% of the time.
Still yours: Record information about legal matters5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Present information in legal proceedings5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data4%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 660 conversations, and it got them there 76% of the time.
Still yours: Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Record images with photographic or audiovisual equipment4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Process forensic or legal evidence4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Train others on operational or work procedures4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 348 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Explain regulations, policies, or procedures3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 84 Copilot conversations and completed it 93% of the time.
Still yours: Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 40 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
Still yours: Interview people to obtain information3%
People try AI for this, but it seldom finishes the work in full.
AI does this: Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 824 Copilot conversations and completed it 86% of the time.
Still yours: Direct security or safety activities or operations2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Investigate criminal or legal matters2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,075 conversations, and it got them there 83% of the time.
AI does this: Advise others on workplace health or safety issues2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,805 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
Still yours: Maintain tools or equipment2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 104 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
About 1,600 openings a year, from growth and from people who retire or move on.
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
Jobs that share the most work with this one, where AI does less of it.
- Shares 30% of the workDetectives and Criminal Investigators13% AI does, against 23% here+0.2% by 2035 · $93,790 · High school diploma
- Shares 28% of the workFirst-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers3% AI does, against 23% here+3.7% by 2035 · $93,530 · Postsecondary certificate
- Shares 25% of the workPolice and Sheriff's Patrol Officers10% AI does, against 23% here+3.5% by 2035 · $76,210 · High school diploma
The wire
On the wire.
Nothing filed about this job yet. The latest from the War front:
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.11, higher than 38% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 33-2021 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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