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 continues to provide competitive income.

In 2007, 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 overtimes) for those working in fire protection engineering in 2006 was $98,200.

• Median income (including bonuses and overtime) for engineers with one year or less experience was $55,000.

• About 49 percent of the survey respondents working full-time earned over $100,000 in 2006 (including bonuses and overtime).

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 executive summary of SFPE's Salary 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.