Compare A Electrical Inspector ↔ B Fire Captain

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · +$16,900 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Fire Inspector: Texas: TCFP Inspector certification is required for fire inspectors employed and appointed by a fire department (approved training and exam). State Fire Marshal licenses: not checked (unreachable).
Move 2, to Fire Captain: license depends on the work (Texas: paid, appointed firefighters need TCFP Structure Fire Suppression certification; the Fire Officer certificate for captains is optional under state law, though departments may require it).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Electrical Inspector to Fire Inspector +$17,580 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.87 (one of the 3 most similar occupations, r >= 0.6).
- Gates: Texas: TCFP Inspector certification is required for fire inspectors employed and appointed by a fire department (approved training and exam). State Fire Marshal licenses: not checked (unreachable).
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Fire Inspector to Fire Captain -$680 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84.
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas: paid, appointed firefighters need TCFP Structure Fire Suppression certification; the Fire Officer certificate for captains is optional under state law, though departments may require it).
- Skills to build: Management of Personnel Resources, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination

Side by side

All First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers: Texas median $81,710, $16,900 more a year than all Construction and Building Inspectors ($64,810), every experience level.

Fire Captain: 96% work more than 40 hours a week, about 4.8 times the share for Electrical Inspector (20%).

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$64,810+$16,900$81,710

Gates on the route: Fire Inspector: Texas: TCFP Inspector certification is required for fire inspectors employed and appointed by a fire department (approved training and exam). State Fire Marshal licenses: not checked (unreachable); Fire Captain: license depends on the work (Texas: paid, appointed firefighters need TCFP Structure Fire Suppression certification; the Fire Officer certificate for captains is optional under state law, though departments may require it).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +8.2% Texas, 1,860 openings a year

B +9.6% Texas, 700 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

20%+76 pts96%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

2.7 / 5+0.12.8 / 5

Hazardous conditions+1.65Hazardous conditions: A 2.2, B 3.85
Protective gear+1.45Protective gear: A 1.96, B 3.41
Hazardous equipment+0.99Hazardous equipment: A 2.88, B 3.87
Very hot or cold-0.98Very hot or cold: A 3.4, B 2.42
Outdoors, all weather-0.92Outdoors, all weather: A 4.48, B 3.56

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 20% do).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 2% do).

License

A No Texas state license for electrical inspectors: TDLR's electrician license list and Code Enforcement registration do not cover it (read 2026-10-03). Employers may require their own credentials.

B Texas: paid, appointed firefighters need TCFP Structure Fire Suppression certification; the Fire Officer certificate for captains is optional under state law, though departments may require it.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 32%).

B Most common related work experience: none (O*NET: 27%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Complex Problem Solving
Active Learning

To build: 6

Management of Personnel Resources +1.00
Service Orientation +0.88
Monitoring +0.75
Coordination +0.74
Instructing +0.62
Social Perceptiveness +0.62

Make this your goal

Save Electrical Inspector to Fire Captain as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.