Firefighter
Respond to fires, road accidents and rescues — and spend a lot of time preventing them.
Bachillerato or higher vocational entry: administrative and case-handling work across every department. What does this group mean?
Save this career to see your personalized pathway in My Senda.
- Typical pay
- €26k–€42k
- Usual education
- School leaver friendly
- Outlook
- Stable; recruitment happens in periodic, competitive intakes.
A day in the life
Check equipment, train on a rescue drill, visit a school for a safety talk, then respond to a call when it comes.
Ways in
- Direct application at 18
- Fitness and aptitude tests
- On-call firefighter first
What to study at 16
The subjects you choose for the final years of secondary school can shape which degrees, exams and careers are easiest to reach. This is about choosing courses, not choosing a school.
Spain
Bachillerato de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales
Portugal
Ciências Socioeconómicas
Italy
Liceo classico / scienze umane
Netherlands
Profiel Economie & Maatschappij
Austria
AHS Oberstufe
Belgium
ASO – General secondary
Exams you'll need
The gates between you and this job, and when each one comes.
Browse all examsSkills that matter
Best courses to take
The study routes that lead most directly into this career.
Professional Policing Degree / Apprenticeship
Academic and on-the-job training route into the police service.
Similar public-service entry training and fitness route.
Helpful school subjects: Sociology, English