Fire Captain
M-07M Other Inspection and code jobs · Lead level · O*NET 33-1021.00
- Texas median
whole occupation, 2025 - $81,710
- work over
40 h a week - 96%
- load index
from O*NET data - 2.8/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - +9.6%
Pay
This level's pay
No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.
Whole occupation: all First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers, Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000033102113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 8,660 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000033102101).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000033102113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 8,660 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000033102101).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers, not level-specific TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- Texas
- +9.6% jobs · about 700 openings a year (9,210 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- +3.4% jobs · about 6,500 openings a year (97,200 jobs in 2024)
Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.
Hours O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 17 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 17 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 80% · irregular 20% · seasonal 0%
Physical load 2.8 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.46, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.23, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.46, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.23, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Body
- Standing3.05
- Bending or twisting2.82
- Walking or running2.64
- Kneeling or crawling2.21
- Keeping balance2.2
- Climbing ladders1.84
Exposure
- Hazardous equipment3.87
- Hazardous conditions3.85
- Outdoors, all weather3.56
- Protective gear3.41
- Cramped space3.17
- Very hot or cold2.42
- High places2.32
Getting in
- License
- 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.
- Degree
- 2% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Experience
- None of related experience is the most common answer (27% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers, O*NET OnLine
- Preparation
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Why this level
- Lead: SOC 33-1021 is a SOC 2018 First-Line Supervisors occupation.
Moves to the side 6
- M Fire Inspector O*NET lists Fire Inspectors and Investigators as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84. License gate: Basic Inspector certification (TCFP), required for employed and appointed fire inspectors.
- B1 Electrical Foreman O*NET lists First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.76.
- I Safety Specialist O*NET lists Occupational Health and Safety Specialists as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.74.
- M Fire Protection Engineer O*NET lists Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.54. License: depends on the work.
What the work is 6 core tasks
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
- Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
- Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
- Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
- Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
- Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
- Evaluate size, location, and condition of fires.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Speaking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Complex Problem Solving
Sources (4)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000033102113, read 2026-10-03
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 33-1021.00 First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers, read 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.
