Each year, approximately 0.4% of Florida graduates receive certificates in fire science. Thus, Florida's 37 fire science schools put out approximately 1,846 fire science professionals each year.

Top Schools

University of Florida, which is located in Gainesville, is the top-ranked school in Florida that has a fire science program. It received a ranking of 48th in the country in 2010. 10 students graduated with a certificate in fire science from University of Florida in 2010. Tuition at University of Florida was $5,044 per year.

Northwood University-Florida Education Center, which was ranked 51st nationwide in 2010, is the second-ranked school in Florida that has a fire science program. It is located in West Palm Beach. Students at Northwood University-Florida Education Center paid $19,273 per year in tuition fees.

Keiser University-Ft. Lauderdale, which was ranked 51st nationwide in 2010, is the third-ranked school in Florida that has a fire science program. It is located in Fort Lauderdale. In 2010, Keiser University-Ft. Lauderdale graduated 52 students from its fire science programs. Keiser University-Ft. Lauderdale charged in-state students $14,176 in tuition fees per year.

Cost

If you are hoping to attend one of Florida's fire science schools, you can expect to pay an average tuition of $2,684 per year, though tuition can range from $19,273 per year to $2,158 per year. In 2010, the following Florida fire science schools had the highest tuition rates:

1. Northwood University-Florida Education Center - located in West Palm Beach, students are charged $19,273 per year
2. Keiser University-Ft. Lauderdale - located in Fort Lauderdale, students are charged $14,176 per year
3. University of Florida - located in Gainesville, students are charged $5,044 per year

The fire science schools that charged the lowest tuition rates in Florida were:

1. Palm Beach State College - located in Lake Worth, students are charged $2,158 per year
2. Santa Fe College - located in Gainesville, students are charged $2,167 per year
3. Pensacola State College - located in Pensacola, students are charged $2,179 per year

A fire science certificate from a Florida school... what next?

Municipal fire fighting, fire-prevention engineer, and fire alarm systems installer are the professions of choice for a majority of fire science graduates in Florida. In 2010, there were 12,430 fire science professional working in Florida, including 1,020 fire investigators, 3,210 municipal fire fightings, and 1,020 fire-prevention engineers. The following counties have the largest number of Florida fire science professionals:

1. Hernando County - 1,980 fire science professionals
2. Broward County - 1,970 fire science professionals
3. Lake County - 1,360 fire science professionals

Projected Growth

According the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of fire science professionals is expected to grow by 2% by 2018. There are projected to be 13,920 fire science professionals working in Florida then. Of these 13,920 fire science professionals, the government predicts that 1,040 will be fire investigators, 2,730 will be municipal fire fightings, and 880 will be fire-prevention engineers.

Salary

On average, fire science professionals earn $59,718 per year. However, this number is only an average. Fire science professional in Florida had varying salaries from $19,040 to $126,400 per year in 2010. On average fire science professional earn the most in the following Florida counties:

1. Collier County - $78,620 per year
2. Palm Beach County - $66,735 per year
3. Lee County - $66,417 per year

The following counties in Florida have the lowest average salaries for fire science professional:

1. Gadsden County - $35,820 per year
2. Alachua County - $36,900 per year
3. Miami-Dade County - $46,415 per year

On average, the highest paid fire science professionals in Florida were:

1. Municipal Fire Fighting - $78,510 per year
2. Fire Prevention Engineer - $64,600 per year
3. Fire Investigator - $59,250 per year

The fire science professionals with lowest average salaries in Florida were:

4. Fire Investigator - $59,250 per year
5. Fire Alarm Systems Installer - $36,510 per year

More Information

The charts and graphs below have additional Florida statistics regarding a career in fire science. Take a look and compare salaries with various related fields such as criminal justice or fire science.