Fire prevention and protection engineers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Fire prevention and protection engineers conduct analyses and make recommendations regarding the potential fire hazards of buildings, materials, and transportation systems. They also design, install, and maintain fire prevention and suppression systems and inspect systems to ensure that they meet government safety regulations. Fire prevention and protection engineers must be licensed and must keep up with changes in fire codes and regulations.
- Education Required
- Entry-level jobs for health and safety engineers require a bachelors degree, typically in environmental health and safety or in an engineering discipline, such as electrical, chemical, mechanical, industrial, or systems engineering. Bachelors degree programs typically include classroom, laboratory, and field studies in applied engineering. Engineering students interested in becoming health and safety engineers also should take courses in occupational safety and health, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, or environmental safety. ABET accredits programs in engineering.
- Job Outlook
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The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 9% (As fast as average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Licenses/Certifications
- Licensure is not required for entry-level positions as a health and safety engineer. A Professional Engineering (PE) license, which allows for higher levels of leadership and independence, can be acquired later in ones career. Licensed engineers are called professional engineers (PEs). A PE can oversee the work of other engineers, sign off on projects, and provide services directly to the public. State licensure generally requires
- Median pay: How much do Health and Safety Engineers make?
- $86,720 Annual Salary
- $41.69 per hour
Careers for Health and Safety Engineers
- Fire prevention engineers
- Fire protection engineers
- Industrial safety engineers
- Product safety engineers
- Product safety test engineers
- System safety engineers
- Systems safety engineers