by our College Data Analytics Team
[Fire Protection](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/fire-protection/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a fire protection degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 32 schools to find where fire protection graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send fire protection graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Keiser University Ft Lauderdale, our #1 for fire protection graduate salaries in the United States. Located in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Keiser University Ft Lauderdale typically earn about $99,745 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Cincinnati State Technical And Community College earned it the #2 place for fire protection. Cincinnati State Technical And Community College is a public school located in the city of Cincinnati. Fire Protection graduates of Cincinnati State Technical And Community College earn a median of about $91,944 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes Santa Rosa Junior College one of the highest-paying schools for fire protection. Located in the city of Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa Junior College is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $91,630.
Strong graduate earnings at North Shore Community College earned it the #4 place for fire protection. North Shore Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Danvers. Fire Protection graduates of North Shore Community College earn a median of about $90,948 a year early in their careers.
St Petersburg College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in fire protection, landing the #5 spot this year. St Petersburg College is a public school located in the city of St. Petersburg. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $87,235.
Mt San Antonio College came in at #6 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Walnut, Mt San Antonio College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Mt San Antonio College earn a median of about $86,031 a year early in their careers.
Utah Valley University came in at #7 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Orem, Utah Valley University is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Utah Valley University earn a median of about $85,741 a year early in their careers.
Tarrant County College District placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for fire protection. Tarrant County College District is a public school located in the city of Fort Worth. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $82,312.
Santa Ana College came in at #9 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Santa Ana College is a public school located in the city of Santa Ana. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Santa Ana College typically earn about $114,446 annually.
Columbia Southern University earned the #10 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Columbia Southern University typically earn about $80,640 annually.
Waldorf College earned the #11 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Set in the rural area of Forest City, Waldorf College is a private for-profit institution. Fire Protection graduates of Waldorf College earn a median of about $79,231 a year early in their careers.
Fox Valley Technical College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Set in the suburb of Appleton, Fox Valley Technical College is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Fox Valley Technical College typically earn about $76,568 annually.
Purdue University Global ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Global is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Purdue University Global earn a median of about $80,826 a year early in their careers.
Lake Superior State University landed the #14 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Set in the town of Sault Ste Marie, Lake Superior State University is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $73,140.
Louisiana State University Eunice ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Located in the town of Eunice, Louisiana State University Eunice is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,875.
Milwaukee Area Technical College landed the #16 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a public school located in the city of Milwaukee. Fire Protection graduates of Milwaukee Area Technical College earn a median of about $68,608 a year early in their careers.
Southern Maine Community College landed the #17 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Located in the city of South Portland, Southern Maine Community College is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Southern Maine Community College typically earn about $63,780 annually.
San Antonio College earned the #18 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of San Antonio, San Antonio College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of San Antonio College earn a median of about $63,762 a year early in their careers.
Pima Community College came in at #19 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Tucson, Pima Community College is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Pima Community College typically earn about $62,429 annually.
Suffolk County Community College earned the #20 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Selden, Suffolk County Community College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Suffolk County Community College earn a median of about $62,210 a year early in their careers.
Red Rocks Community College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Located in the suburb of Lakewood, Red Rocks Community College is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Red Rocks Community College typically earn about $61,859 annually.
American Public University System came in at #22 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Charles Town, American Public University System is a private for-profit institution. Fire Protection graduates of American Public University System earn a median of about $61,771 a year early in their careers.
Central New Mexico Community College landed the #23 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Located in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from Central New Mexico Community College make a median of around $61,487 per year.
College Of Dupage ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from College Of Dupage make a median of around $58,160 per year.
El Paso Community College landed the #25 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Set in the city of El Paso, El Paso Community College is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from El Paso Community College make a median of around $57,398 per year.
Not far behind, these schools also produced high-earning fire protection graduates:
Explore the highest-paying fire protection schools at other degree levels:
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their fire protection graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 32 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.