Fire Protection at Southwestern Illinois College

Southwestern Illinois College's fire protection certificate produces first-year earnings of nearly $78,000—well above the $47,000 national median and landing in the 95th percentile nationwide. The $12,750 in debt translates to just 16 cents owed per dollar earned, making this one of the more affordable paths into fire protection careers. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift substantially with more data.

The earnings trajectory deserves attention: graduates see median pay drop from $78,000 to $71,000 between years one and four. This 9% decline is unusual for a technical field and might reflect Illinois-specific hiring patterns in fire services, or simply the limitations of tracking a small cohort. Within Illinois, this program sits at the 60th percentile for earnings—solid but not exceptional—suggesting that geography and local department budgets play a significant role in outcomes.

For families focused on minimizing debt while accessing well-paying work quickly, the numbers look promising. That said, the declining earnings pattern and small sample size mean you're working with limited information about long-term career progression. If your student is committed to fire protection and values staying local, the low debt load makes this a reasonable bet, but understand you're relying on data from fewer than 30 graduates.