Wildland Fire Management

What the Numbers Say About Wildland Fire Management

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 1,908 people work in the Wildland Fire Management occupation (OPM code 456) across federal agencies, 0.1% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -14.7% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Wildland Fire Management is $69,817 per year, placing it 36.5% below the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 25.3% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 13.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Biological Sciences Group family (code 4) groups Wildland Fire Management together with 30 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Wildland Fire Management postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 69,668 employees combined), Wildland Fire Management holds the #8 spot by headcount, a 2.7% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (23rd percentile) of pay among Biological Sciences Group occupations.