Fire Inspectors and Investigators Salary
Fire Inspectors and Investigators in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX make a median of $68,650 a year, or about $33 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.72), which stretches that salary to about $72,477 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,426/month, or 29.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $69K get you in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Antonio-New Braunfels’s Regional Price Parity (94.72). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About fire inspectors and investigators
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What this looks like in San Antonio-New Braunfels
Fire inspectors and investigators pay in San Antonio-New Braunfels tracks closely to the national median, $69K locally vs. $76K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,426/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fire inspectors and investigators in metros near San Antonio-New Braunfels, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $82K | $84K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $95K | $92K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $81K | $82K |
| Oklahoma City | $37K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
Entry-level fire inspectors and investigators (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $69K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Fire Inspectors and Investigators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Fire Inspectors and Investigators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $123K | +62% | 380 |
| Oregon | $115K | +52% | N/A |
| California | $99K | +31% | 1,350 |
| Maryland | $99K | +30% | 270 |
| Nevada | $93K | +23% | 190 |
| Colorado | $86K | +13% | N/A |
| Minnesota | $84K | +11% | 230 |
| Texas | $82K | +9% | 1,030 |
| Iowa | $82K | +8% | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $81K | +7% | 200 |
| Connecticut | $80K | +6% | 420 |
| North Dakota | $80K | +6% | 40 |
| Alabama | $78K | +3% | 40 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +3% | 50 |
| Michigan | $77K | +2% | 250 |
| Missouri | $77K | +2% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $77K | +1% | 60 |
| Florida | $76K | -0% | 1,060 |
| New Hampshire | $75K | -1% | 50 |
| Arizona | $75K | -2% | 240 |
| New York | $74K | -3% | 1,200 |
| Indiana | $73K | -3% | 200 |
| Idaho | $73K | -4% | 30 |
| Utah | $73K | -4% | 60 |
| Virginia | $70K | -7% | 100 |
| North Carolina | $67K | -12% | 870 |
| Wisconsin | $67K | -12% | 160 |
| Louisiana | $65K | -15% | 80 |
| New Mexico | $65K | -15% | 160 |
| Georgia | $65K | -15% | 300 |
| Kansas | $64K | -15% | 90 |
| Tennessee | $63K | -16% | 390 |
| Illinois | $62K | -18% | 440 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -18% | 110 |
| New Jersey | $60K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Ohio | $59K | -22% | 520 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -22% | 280 |
| Maine | $58K | -23% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $58K | -24% | 40 |
| Kentucky | $56K | -26% | 100 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -27% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $52K | -31% | 70 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -51% | 160 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track fire inspectors and investigators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Antonio-New Braunfels numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a fire inspectors and investigator afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $69K, rent takes 30.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for fire inspectors and investigators in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fire inspectors and investigators typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,668/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 39% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is fire inspectors and investigator a high-paying job in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $69K locally vs. $76K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does San Antonio-New Braunfels compare to the national average for fire inspectors and investigators?
San Antonio-New Braunfels pays $69K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — below the national median.
How much do fire inspectors and investigators make in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?
The median is $68,650 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,140, and experienced fire inspectors and investigators can clear $85,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $69K enough to live in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,724/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 30.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a fire inspectors and investigators salary go in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
San Antonio-New Braunfels has a Regional Price Parity of 94.72 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median fire inspectors and investigators salary is worth about $72,477 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do fire inspectors and investigators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.