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Animal Control Workers vs Fire Inspectors and Investigators: what changes?

Consider Animal Control Workers if you want to handle animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals. Consider Fire Inspectors and Investigators if you would rather inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions. Entry credentials differ: Animal Control Workers, high school diploma or equivalent; Fire Inspectors and Investigators, postsecondary nondegree award. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Fire Inspectors and Investigators (5 years or more).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Animal Control Workers and Fire Inspectors and Investigators. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Animal Control Workers

National median pay (2025)
$45,660
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
1,500
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (13,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Animal Control Workers brief

Fire Inspectors and Investigators

National median pay (2025)
$75,920
Route into the job
Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: 5 years or more; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
1,600
Know before you choose

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Fire Inspectors and Investigators brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Fire Inspectors and Investigators has the edge on median pay

Fire Inspectors and Investigators is at $75,920, compared with $45,660 for Animal Control Workers.

2

Typical preparation differs.

Animal Control Workers: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Fire Inspectors and Investigators: Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: 5 years or more; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

3

Fire Inspectors and Investigators has the edge on projected growth

Fire Inspectors and Investigators is at 4.2% projected growth, compared with 4% projected growth for Animal Control Workers.

4

Fire Inspectors and Investigators has the edge on annual openings

Fire Inspectors and Investigators is at 1,600 annual openings, compared with 1,500 annual openings for Animal Control Workers.

41.5/ 100

Animal Control Workers

vs
51.7/ 100

Fire Inspectors and Investigators

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Animal Control Workers vs Fire Inspectors and Investigators

DimensionAnimal Control WorkersFire Inspectors and Investigators
Median pay (2025)$45,660$75,920
Pay percentile18.9 percentile65.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)4%4.2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)1,5001,600
2025 employment13,80014,700
How you qualifyHigh school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingPostsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: 5 years or more; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 3
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
On-the-job trainingMore than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Animal Control Workers briefRead Fire Inspectors and Investigators brief

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Animal Control Workers vs Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

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Animal Control Workers
$45,660 · 4% growth
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Fire Inspectors and Investigators vs Firefighter

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Fire Inspectors and Investigators
$75,920 · 4.2% growth
Firefighter
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Fire Inspectors and Investigators vs First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

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Fire Inspectors and Investigators
$75,920 · 4.2% growth
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