RU

Occupation · 2026 assessment

Firefighter

A Firefighter prevents or responds to hazardous situations, follows protocols under time pressure and is accountable for human safety. The assessment separates automation of individual tasks from accountability for the professional outcome.

Very low risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

16%2026
19%2028
23%2030
29%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
assessing the scene and hazards34%
selecting a safe response tactic29%
using emergency equipment25%
searching for and evacuating people20%
providing first aid14%
coordinating with emergency services4%
containing the hazard3%
post-incident review3%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1assessing the scene and hazardsAI 34% · human 81%
  2. 2selecting a safe response tacticAI 29% · human 85%
  3. 3using emergency equipmentAI 25% · human 88%
  4. 4searching for and evacuating peopleAI 20% · human 87%
  5. 5providing first aidAI 14% · human 94%
  6. 6coordinating with emergency servicesAI 4% · human 90%
  7. 7containing the hazardAI 3% · human 94%
  8. 8post-incident reviewAI 3% · human 94%

Why technology can change this work

  • digital tools reduce preparation and control time
  • full automation is constrained by variable real-world conditions
  • many cases still require professional judgement
  • key information often emerges only through direct work

What protects the occupation

  • response to non-standard threats
  • security accountability
  • work in unpredictable environments

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$7 650per month
2035$11 400scenario estimate
2026: $7 65020262027: $8 00020272028: $8 35020282029: $8 75020292030: $9 15020302031: $9 55020312032: $10 00020322033: $10 45020332034: $10 90020342035: $11 4002035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

Cybersecurity Engineer

Established resilient role
New role risk24%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit89%

AI Security Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

Deepfake Forensics Analyst

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Prompt Injection Analyst

Emerging role
New role risk18%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit83%

Autonomous Systems Security Specialist

Emerging role
New role risk13%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

Cyber Resilience Planner

Emerging role
New role risk17%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Autonomous Systems Security Specialist

Skill fit 81% · risk 13%

Search jobs ↗

Skills you already have

  • rescue tactics
  • first aid
  • protective-equipment use
  • radio communications
  • stress tolerance
  • team coordination

Skills to build

  • drones and robotic reconnaissance
  • geographic information systems
  • wearable sensors
  • digital risk maps
  • incident management
  • incident-data analysis
CurrentFirefighter · 16%
→
Keeprescue tactics · first aid · protective-equipment use
→
Adddrones and robotic reconnaissance · geographic information systems · wearable sensors

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-26 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.