First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers vs First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives: $94K vs $106K Median Pay

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers vs First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives: what changes?

Consider First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers if you want to directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control. Consider First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives if you would rather directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force. Entry credentials differ: First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers, postsecondary nondegree award; First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives, high school diploma or equivalent. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers (less than 5 years) and First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers and First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives. 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

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

National median pay (2025): $93,530
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; 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: less than 5 years.
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: Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 6,600

Know before you choose

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

See the full First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers brief

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

National median pay (2025): $106,040
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; 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: less than 5 years.
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: Supervise and coordinate the investigation of criminal cases, offering guidance and expertise to investigators, and ensuring that procedures are conducted in accordance with laws and regulations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 10,600

Know before you choose

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

See the full First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives brief

How the national numbers differ

Typical preparation differs.

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers: Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; 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.

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives has the edge on median pay

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives is at $106,040, compared with $93,530 for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers.

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives has the edge on annual openings

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives is at 10,600 annual openings, compared with 6,600 annual openings for First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers.

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers has the edge on projected growth

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers is at 3.7% projected growth, compared with 3.3% projected growth for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives.

62.9/ 100

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

71.2/ 100

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

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

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers vs First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

Dimension	First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Median pay (2025)	$93,530	$106,040
Pay percentile	78.4 percentile	86.7 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	3.7%	3.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	6,600	10,600
2025 employment	101,600	160,200
How you qualify	Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; 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 group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	More 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 First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers brief Read First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives brief

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers vs First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

How the national numbers differ

Typical preparation differs.

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives has the edge on median pay

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives has the edge on annual openings

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers has the edge on projected growth

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers vs First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

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