Fire Protection at North Shore Community College

North Shore Community College's fire protection graduates are walking into six-figure earnings within four years, starting at over $90,000 straight out of an associate's program. That's not just good—it's 95th percentile nationally for fire protection programs. With just over $10,000 in debt, graduates owe roughly what they'll earn in six weeks of their first job.

The catch? These numbers come from a small graduating class, so one or two outliers could skew the picture significantly. Still, the fundamentals make sense: Massachusetts has some of the highest-paid firefighters in the country, and fire protection associate's degrees often lead directly to municipal firefighting positions with union wages and strong benefits. The 60th percentile state ranking suggests this program performs solidly within Massachusetts, where the bar is already high. The 22% earnings bump from year one to year four likely reflects promotion timelines and contractual wage increases common in public safety careers.

For families considering this path, the risk-reward calculus is compelling even accounting for the small sample caveat. Your child would be entering a field with clear career progression, strong job security, and minimal debt burden. Just understand that firefighting is physically demanding work with competitive entry requirements—academic preparation is only part of the equation.