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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the early-career earnings of their fire protection graduates.
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If you want to know which schools send fire protection graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked Tarrant County College District the top school for fire protection graduate earnings in the Southwest Region. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County College District is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from Tarrant County College District make a median of around $85,874 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in fire protection will find them at Lone Star College System, which ranked #2. Lone Star College System is a public school located in the city of The Woodlands. Fire Protection graduates of Lone Star College System earn a median of about $66,236 a year early in their careers.
San Jacinto Community College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in fire protection, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Pasadena, San Jacinto Community College is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from San Jacinto Community College typically earn about $61,451 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Navarro College earned it the #4 place for fire protection. Located in the town of Corsicana, Navarro College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Navarro College earn a median of about $61,379 a year early in their careers.
Mesa Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Mesa Community College is a public school located in the city of Mesa. Early-career fire protection graduates from Mesa Community College make a median of around $58,635 per year.
San Antonio College earned the #6 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of San Antonio, San Antonio College is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from San Antonio College make a median of around $60,731 per year.
El Paso Community College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. El Paso Community College is a public school located in the city of El Paso. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,585.
Glendale Community College Glendale Az came in at #8 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Glendale Community College Glendale Az is a public school located in the suburb of Glendale. Early-career fire protection graduates from Glendale Community College Glendale Az make a median of around $56,219 per year.
Lamar Institute Of Technology landed the #9 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Lamar Institute Of Technology is a public school located in the city of Beaumont. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,778.
Mclennan Community College landed the #10 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Located in the city of Waco, Mclennan Community College is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from Mclennan Community College make a median of around $61,609 per year.
Austin Community College District ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Austin Community College District typically earn about $57,562 annually.
Central New Mexico Community College came in at #12 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Central New Mexico Community College is a public school located in the city of Albuquerque. Fire Protection graduates of Central New Mexico Community College earn a median of about $61,487 a year early in their careers.
Houston Community College earned the #13 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Houston Community College is a public school located in the city of Houston. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,611.
Pima Community College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Set in the city of Tucson, Pima Community College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Pima Community College earn a median of about $58,096 a year early in their careers.
Yavapai College placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for fire protection. Yavapai College is a public school located in the city of Prescott. Early-career fire protection graduates from Yavapai College make a median of around $34,916 per year.
Hill College ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Hill College is a public school located in the town of Hillsboro. Fire Protection graduates of Hill College earn a median of about $33,190 a year early in their careers.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries fire protection graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 16 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.