Becoming an Arson Investigator
Education, Salary & Training Needed

Is becoming a fire investigator right for you? Learn about arson investigator careers, education needed, training & average salary for fire investigators.

A fire investigator is called onto the scene when a fire is suspected of being started by a person on purpose. It is his or her job to determine whether or not it was purposeful, how the fire may have been started, and who may have been the one responsible for it.

Arson Investigator Career Info

A fire investigator's job is a complex one, requiring an extended education and a lot of experience in law enforcement. Many arson and fire investigator professionals have worked on the police force for years before making the transition.

Arson Investigators Work In Dangerous Crime Scenes

The fire investigator is not just a member of crime scene investigator teams. His or her job goes far beyond examining a burn sight. They are also often called upon to testify as an expert witness in court cases.

Working both in public and private sectors, the fire investigator has a wide variety of options about the different places he or she can work. Not only do police departments and federal agencies employ arson and fire investigators, but private insurance companies do as well.

It takes a lot of work to become investigator of arson, but the benefits and rewards are certainly worth the effort.

Arson Investigator Salary

The average annual salary for an arson investigator is almost $70,000 per year. While that may not be a fortune, it is certainly enough to live comfortably.

Those who work in the public sector tend to make anywhere from $30,000 to $70,000 per year, depending on ranking and experience. But if you find the opportunity to work in the private sector, you can make significantly more than that as a fire investigator--especially if you have the experience.

Fire Investigator Education

If you are interested in becoming a fire investigator, you need to make sure you meet the requirements and have the proper education.

Many positions of this nature require you to have a degree of some kind (probably in criminal justice, crime scene investigation, or fire science).

Arson investigator training may sound like a lot of work, and it really is, but it's also very doable.

If you haven't gone to school yet, then you're in luck! Becoming a fire investigator will be so much easier for you. Just find a school and go for it!

But if you are facing a career change, you're probably worried about the prospect of going back to college to get another degree.

After all, you might have a family who depends on you for moral and financial support--not to mention a daily schedule that seems impossible to alter.

But you're in luck! 10 years ago, this would have been the case. But now with online schooling, your options are so numerous!

By earning your criminal justice or fire science degree online, you can set your own schedule, take classes at night, and keep your day job.

It's really a fantastic way to alter the course of your career without making an abrupt change that will upset the balance of your daily life.

Find a School!

Think a career in criminology is for you?

Then start here & find a school for you!

If you have the drive and motivation to succeed as a fire investigator, to help serve your state and community, then you will find the right program for you--whether it's online or not.