Firefighters

Minimal Risk
10%

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Vote Comments (30)
AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
0.0%
(Minimal Risk)
POLLING
19.7%
(Minimal Risk, Based on 544 votes)
Average: 10%
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
4.2%
by year 2033
WAGES
$57,120
or $27.46 per hour
Volume
315,460
as of 2023
SUMMARY
What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
7.3/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

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Calculated automation risk

0.0% (Minimal Risk)

Minimal Risk (0-20%): Occupations in this category have a low probability of being automated, as they typically demand complex problem-solving, creativity, strong interpersonal skills, and a high degree of manual dexterity. These jobs often involve intricate hand movements and precise coordination, making it difficult for machines to replicate the required tasks.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some very important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Assisting and Caring for Others

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions

  • Manual Dexterity

  • Social Perceptiveness

  • Finger Dexterity

User poll

19.7% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a minimal chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 0.0% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Firefighters will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

Sentiment

The following graph is shown where there are enough votes to produce meaningful data. It displays user poll results over time, providing a clear indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Moderate growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Firefighters' job openings is expected to rise 4.2% by 2033

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Wages

Moderately paid relative to other professions

In 2023, the median annual wage for 'Firefighters' was 57.120 $, or 27 $ per hour

'Firefighters' were paid 18.9% higher than the national median wage, which stood at 48.060 $

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2023 there were 315,460 people employed as 'Firefighters' within the United States.

This represents around 0.21% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 481 people are employed as 'Firefighters'.

Job description

Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.

SOC Code: 33-2011.00

Comments (30)

Leave a comment
Adam B (Low)
16 Nov 2025 15:00
It is very unlikely but with the afvancing technology they can strap alarms and Water on an automatic vehicles and probably in 20 years make a robot that isnt inflammable.
John (Low)
13 Sep 2025 00:28
Size up decisions made in an instant are crucial to firefighters.
Drones will be handy for wildfires.
Also for recon, but one day there will be a firefighter controlled robots for firefighting, that is a long way away.
Besides we have a saying in the fire service, "200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress. " 😆 LOL
Larry Lassere (No chance)
07 Jul 2025 00:00
30 years of Fire Service experience. Retired as Assistant Fire Chief. Experience working in front line fire suppression, Driver/Pump Operator, Inspections, Investigations, Training and Supervision.
Olof
09 Oct 2024 05:37
Technically robots already do firefighting but only as carriers and sometimes moving rubble and stuff
Zar (Low)
10 Sep 2024 00:10
This is an on-site job and AI cannot replace it because fire is a live thing.
Idk (No chance)
01 May 2023 18:00
I think that is impossible the robots become firefighetrs, they combat fires, that can burn robots systems
Will (No chance)
13 Apr 2023 17:14
As a first responder who has responded to some absolutely weird and unexpected calls I can’t imagine making a robot capable of adapting to the unknown in the same ways a human can. Not in 20 years anyway; no chance.
Daniel (No chance)
01 Nov 2022 06:10
Too much adaptation to very diverse environments.
Lee Edwards Wright (Highly likely)
30 Sep 2022 12:26
One of the main points of using robots is to do something that isn't safe, robots fighting fire would be highly likely because it's a dangerous job as we all know. Robots would be fearless... quite literally and might have more strength.
Enzo (No chance)
20 Apr 2022 14:09
I believe that although automated fire prevention systems will help to reduce the need significantly, the environment in a fire is too hostile and changes too quickly for a robot to be able to completely replace humans.
V (No chance)
13 Oct 2021 00:40
In the next 20 years, there is no chance of technology advancing enough to completely replace firefighters maybe supplement like some departments are using UAVs now but in the next 20 years expect a robot to perform the complex tasks required by firefighting in changing environments that are structurally degraded and in which visibility will be significantly degraded isn't realistic in any way. In 50-100 years... maybe but predicting that far ahead is essentially useless. Who knows what crazy technology we'll have by then.
Alvin (Uncertain)
11 Oct 2021 07:11
As someone who works in the field of machine learning, I can tell you that firefighters absolutely can be replaced. Now whether or not the general population will be ok with their hero’s going away, that’s another question itself. But if people can come off their pedestal and realize the lives automating this progression would save, then yes, it’ll be automated.
Will
13 Apr 2023 17:11
As a firefighter, I wonder if you’re basing your response on the extinguishment of fires only. Fighting fires is only about 10percent of a firefighters job. The bulk is Medical and Rescue. Creating a robot capable of adapting to the unknown in the same way a first responder is tasked to do is, I would imagine, not something we will be capable of in the near future.
Rh (Low)
30 Sep 2021 04:20
Replace firefighters altogether? Most likely not. However, we will definitely see technology and robots as more of an assistant to firefighters. At most, I think the robot would be good for the really hazardous tasks that would require you to be very close to said fire almost to the point of being burned. Everything else is best done by a human.
Josef (Moderate)
09 Apr 2021 10:50
Couldn't we make machines to hose down fires automatically? It doesn't seem that unlikely
Will
13 Apr 2023 17:15
Remember: Fighting fire is a very small part of firefighting.
Oscar
08 Mar 2021 11:21
a firefighter not only fight the fire ... try to learn a robot traffic rescue. More robots helping the firefighters? ... yes, but no way to replace.
Drake (No chance)
03 Dec 2020 23:05
It's 2020 and if we haven't been automated yet what makes you think we ever will?
Kyle (Highly likely)
26 Mar 2020 19:50
Improvements in automatic sprinklers and fire suppression systems will replace the need for the fire fighting aspect of the job.
yeah
30 Oct 2020 00:14
yeah so lets get rid of firefighters altogether, nothing can go wrong can it?
☆ (No chance)
11 Jul 2024 18:51
firefighters mostly operate as first responders and the majority of their work consists of first aid and rescue. this requires a lot of thinking on the spot, common sense, and fast decision making as well as the physical dexterity and capabilities needed. robots could be fire extinguishers, but not firefighters.
Firefighter manager
09 Mar 2020 18:44
Wake up and smell the coffee technology is already impacting on the job ever heard of Boston Robotics https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=boston+robotics+youtube&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari
Jack
08 Mar 2020 10:26
I image humans being fire fighters forever, because the robots may be on fire...
Kevin (Highly likely)
31 Jan 2020 23:03
I think that AI should take over this job, because it is dangerous.
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