Fire protection recruiters serving Ogden-Clearfield.
Ogden-Clearfield fire sprinkler fitters earn a real premium over the national average - and the metro's own data flags federal-facility and aircraft-hangar suppression systems for Hill Air Force Base as highly specialized, code-critical work.
The largest capital project in the Ogden area history.
Ogden-Clearfield's own market data publishes one fire-protection-specific wage figure: NICET II+ fire sprinkler fitters at $30-$39/hr, about 7% above the national average of $28-$36/hr.
What the hub does flag: federal-facility and aircraft-hangar suppression systems for Hill AFB are highly specialized, code-critical work.
We recruit across the full org chart for fire protection contractors in Ogden-Clearfield, and we verify real federal-facility or aircraft-hangar design experience depending on the specific role.
A decade-long federal modernization.
A $1.2B East Campus Infrastructure project at Hill Air Force Base.
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Federal-facility and aircraft-hangar suppression systems for a new maintenance hangar, composite repair facility, and T-7A depot maintenance complex are highly specialized, code-critical work.
What fire protection roles pay in Ogden.
In the Ogden metro, BLS puts the median for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters at $64,860 a year, in line with the $63,800 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Ogden ranks 41st on pay. Most of the market sits between $40,540 and $83,370. Of the other field roles, building inspector pays the most locally, at a $75,360 median. BLS publishes no separate code for sprinkler fitters: they are counted with plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, so that row is the closest published figure for the trade. BLS does not publish Ogden pay for fire systems inspector, which it withholds where a metro's sample is too small to be reliable. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Fire Protection Salary Guide.
| Role | Ogden median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinkler FitterPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $64,860 | $40,540–$83,370 | $63,800 | +2% | 1,310 |
| Fire Alarm / Life Safety TechnicianSecurity and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (49-2098) | $59,690 | $46,190–$81,070 | $60,070 | −1% | 110 |
| Fire Systems InspectorFire Inspectors and Investigators (33-2021) | – | – | $75,920 | – | – |
| Building InspectorConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $75,360 | $48,930–$101,930 | $74,690 | +1% | 200 |
| Service ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $76,620 | $53,340–$107,730 | $79,920 | −4% | – |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Ogden metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile. Headcount is shown for field occupations only; management, estimating and supervisory codes are counted across every industry in the metro.
What candidates expect. What credentials matter. What kills offers.
We don't tell prospective clients who their competitors are hiring - that's a discipline our clients value, and we'll honor it on a call. What we will share publicly: how Ogden-Clearfield fire protection hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why federal-facility and aircraft-hangar suppression is highly specialized
Ogden-Clearfield's own market data uses that exact phrase for Hill AFB suppression work. Federal specification requirements and aircraft-hangar-specific design (foam systems, high-ceiling coverage) differ meaningfully from conventional commercial suppression.
Why the security-clearance requirement compounds the shortage
Federal-facility work at Hill AFB requires security-clearance and federal-contracting experience, narrowing the qualified pool substantially beyond just NICET certification level.
What this means for sourcing
Standard NICET II+ fitters are available in this market at a real regional premium. Designers with federal-facility or aircraft-hangar suppression experience are the harder find, and worth pricing above the base figure.
Where Ogden-Clearfield fire protection talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for fire protection contractors in Ogden-Clearfield. The regional labor pool is real, but federal-facility design experience with security clearance is a narrower, scarcer credential within it.
Realistic timelines, by role
Standard NICET II+ fitter roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer. Federal-facility-experienced designers run considerably longer given security-clearance requirements tied to Hill AFB. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The fire protection positions we fill, most often.
Across all Ogden-Clearfield fire protection clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Federal-facility and aircraft-hangar suppression designers are the roles in genuine short supply - standard NICET II+ fitters draw on the metro's own available regional pipeline.
- Fire sprinkler fitter (NICET II+)Sample job description →
- Federal-facility suppression designer
- Aircraft-hangar suppression technician
- ITM technician (inspection, testing, maintenance)
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Ogden-Clearfield, see the Ogden-Clearfield metro overview. To learn more about fire protection generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Fire Protection industry page.
How we recruit fire protection in Ogden, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Ogden-Clearfield fire protection segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Ogden-Clearfield fire protection, we also confirm whether the work needs standard NICET II+ fitting or federal-facility design expertise with security clearance, since those price and source very differently.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Ogden-Clearfield fire protection candidate network, filtered for verified NICET credential level or federal-facility project history and clearance status where required.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real licensing and credential status rather than a line on a resume - timeline depends heavily on clearance requirements.
- Offer and close. Standard NICET II+ roles close in 4-6 weeks. We help with offer math against the region published fire sprinkler fitter benchmark, since Ogden-Clearfield publishes no separate figure for the harder-to-fill federal-facility tier.
Ogden runs 29% fewer fire protection workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers (nearest published occupation for this trade). Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Ogden's fire protection market compares
In 2023 the Ogden metro had 37 nonresidential plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler contractors (counted by business location), with about 1,134 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $75,132, 12.4% below the national average of $85,782 for the same kind of employer. The number of these employers rose 23.3%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 5.1 per 100,000 residents against 8.8 nationally. Fewer local employers means experienced people are easier to identify, but many work for firms based outside the metro. These firms account for 4.9% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Ogden ranks 86th for headcount, 61st for median pay and 82nd for concentration for security and fire alarm systems installers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City | 540 | $61,620 | 1.18 | 73 |
| Provo | 210 | $60,590 | 1.22 | 13 |
| Ogden | 110 | $59,690 | 0.71 | 37 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For fire protection employers in Ogden, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Ogden metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Ogden's fire protection market has changed since 2018.
Ogden lost nonresidential plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 64 business locations to 37 (down 42%), behind the 2% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler contractors: business locations | 64 | 37 | −42% |
| Nonresidential plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler contractors: employment | – | 1,134 | – |
| Nonresidential plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler contractors: average annual pay | – | $75,132 | – |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked — fire protection hiring in Ogden.
Why is fire protection design specialized in Ogden-Clearfield right now?
The metro's own data describes federal-facility and aircraft-hangar suppression systems for Hill Air Force Base as highly specialized, code-critical work, tied to the base $1.2B East Campus Infrastructure project.
What is driving fire protection demand in Ogden-Clearfield right now?
Hill Air Force Base F-35/T-7A East Campus Infrastructure project - a 10-year, $1.2B, 1 million sq ft modernization that broke ground May 2026 - is the single largest driver of fire protection demand in this market.
Is fire protection the biggest wage premium in Ogden-Clearfield?
No - this metro federal-facility/defense-cleared electricians (+23%) and aircraft-facility mechanical technicians (+19%) carry much larger premiums tied to the same Hill AFB project. Fire protection +7% is real but more modest by comparison.
What do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn in Ogden?
BLS puts the Ogden median for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters at $64,860 a year, about the same as the $63,800 national median. That ranks 41st of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $40,540 at the 10th percentile against $83,370 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other Utah metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Ogden?
Not by national standards. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make up 62% more of the Ogden workforce than they do nationally, about 1,310 people. The 37 nonresidential plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler contractors here average about 31 employees per location, which means a handful of large operators set the pace on pay. There are 42% fewer of those firms than in 2018, so experienced people have fewer local employers to move between.
Which fire protection roles pay the most in Ogden?
Of the roles we recruit for, Service Foreman pays the most in Ogden, a $76,620 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Building Inspector at $75,360, 2% below it. Fire Alarm / Life Safety Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $59,690. Service Foreman trails national pay the most (4% below).
How many nonresidential plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler contractors operate in Ogden?
BLS counted 37 nonresidential plumbing, HVAC and fire sprinkler contractors in Ogden in 2023, employing about 1,134 people between them. Down from 64 in 2018, a 42% decline against 2% growth nationally. That averages 31 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $75,132, 12% below the $85,782 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Ogden for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Salt Lake City (32 miles, about 3,190, $64,800 median), Provo (70 miles, about 1,450, $57,130 median) and Boise (272 miles, about 1,760, $56,940 median). Salt Lake City has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Ogden out-pays Provo and Boise, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Hiring fire protection talent in Ogden-Clearfield?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.