It pays to be a fire protection engineer. Not only does becoming a fire protection engineer bring the personal satisfaction of making the world safe from fire, but it provides competitive income.

In 2010, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers conducted a salary and benefits survey of the fire protection engineering profession. Data from this salary survey show that:

• Median income (including bonuses and overtime) for those working in fire protection engineering in 2009 was $110,500, a 12.5% increase since the previous survey was conducted in 2007.
  

• Median income (including bonuses and overtime) for engineers with 0-6 years of experience with a bachelor’s degree was $68,700 per year. That figure jumps to $78,000 when a person with that level of experience has a master’s degree.
  

• Fire protection engineers with upwards of 15 years work experience earn the greatest salaries in the field. It is common for senior-level fire protection engineers to make over $120,000 per year.

Generous benefits are another reason to choose a career in fire protection engineering. The vast majority of respondents receive medical benefits, dental benefits, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, tuition reimbursement and bonuses.

For more information, download the SFPE 2010 Compensation Survey.

For more information about careers in fire protection engineering, see other parts of this website or contact chris@sfpe.org. Or, for more information about the Fire Protection Engineering profession, visit www.sfpe.org.