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Michigan Wildland Firefighter Jobs

Since 2017, 541 wildland firefighter jobs have been posted across Michigan — and 205 were entry-level (no experience needed). Here's where the crews are and how to pick one.

When they hire

Most Michigan jobs get posted in August, September, November. Federal fire hiring runs in the fall and winter for the next summer — so apply early, months before fire season.

Who hires

  • Forest Service (521)
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (11)
  • Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (9)

Crew types posted

  • Dispatch (36)
  • Helitack (30)
  • Hand crew (26)
  • Hotshot crew (21)
  • Fuels / Rx fire (12)

The types of crews — what they do & how big

Typical crew sizes and duties (general fire-world norms, not specific to one posting).

Hotshot crew · 20-person crew

Hike into the toughest, most remote parts of big fires and cut fireline by hand.

Not entry-level Usually 1–2+ seasons on a crew first; very competitive.

Smokejumpers · elite; a few bases

Parachute into remote fires that crews can't reach by road.

Not entry-level At least one full fire season to apply; most have several.

Helitack · small modules

Get flown to fires by helicopter for fast initial attack.

Not entry-level Usually a season or two on the ground first.

Engine crew · 3–10 per engine

Drive fire engines to the fire, pump water, and run hose lays.

✅ Entry-level No experience needed — a classic first job.

Hand crew · ~18–20 per crew

Dig fireline by hand with tools.

✅ Entry-level No experience needed — the classic first job.

Fuels / Rx fire · varies

Thin brush and run planned (prescribed) burns to cut wildfire risk before it starts.

✅ Entry-level Entry-level seasonal roles are common.

Dispatch · support role

Coordinate crews, engines, and aircraft by radio — off the fire line.

Not entry-level A support role — usually needs some fire or dispatch experience.

Where the crews are in Michigan

The towns that hire most. "Entry-level per year" is the typical number of no-experience roles posted in a normal season — your best read on how many spots there are and how many other rookies you'd be with.

Oscoda, Michigan

208 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 10 entry-level spots a year (87 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

10
'18
11
'19
13
'20
9
'21
14
'22
7
'23
7
'24
7
'25
9
'26

Mio, Michigan

201 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 10 entry-level spots a year (86 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

10
'18
10
'19
10
'20
9
'21
14
'22
11
'23
8
'24
7
'25
7
'26

Watersmeet, Michigan

199 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 10 entry-level spots a year (95 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

9
'18
14
'19
17
'20
9
'21
12
'22
12
'23
6
'24
7
'25
7
'26

Baldwin, Michigan

197 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 9 entry-level spots a year (85 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

9
'18
11
'19
13
'20
6
'21
13
'22
11
'23
7
'24
7
'25
8
'26

🔥 Experienced hires — crews based here you work up to

  • Dispatch — coordinate crews, engines, and aircraft by radio — off the fire line. A support role — usually needs some fire or dispatch experience.

Wellston, Michigan

187 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 9 entry-level spots a year (80 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

3
'18
2
'19
11
'20
11
'21
16
'22
12
'23
8
'24
7
'25
10
'26

🔥 Experienced hires — crews based here you work up to

  • Hotshot crew — hike into the toughest, most remote parts of big fires and cut fireline by hand. Usually 1–2+ seasons on a crew first; very competitive.
  • Dispatch — coordinate crews, engines, and aircraft by radio — off the fire line. A support role — usually needs some fire or dispatch experience.

Rapid River, Michigan

170 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 8 entry-level spots a year (73 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

7
'18
11
'19
13
'20
6
'21
7
'22
6
'23
10
'24
7
'25
5
'26

Raco, Michigan

165 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 8 entry-level spots a year (73 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

7
'18
10
'19
15
'20
7
'21
7
'22
6
'23
9
'24
6
'25
5
'26

Munising, Michigan

163 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 7 entry-level spots a year (68 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

7
'18
11
'19
12
'20
7
'21
7
'22
6
'23
5
'24
7
'25
5
'26

Saint Ignace, Michigan

155 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 7 entry-level spots a year (65 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

6
'18
7
'19
12
'20
6
'21
7
'22
6
'23
8
'24
7
'25
5
'26

Kenton, Michigan

108 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 6 entry-level spots a year (49 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

5
'18
9
'19
11
'20
5
'21
7
'22
8
'23
1
'24
0
'25
2
'26

Cadillac, Michigan

100 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 4 entry-level spots a year (34 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

2
'18
5
'19
7
'20
5
'21
7
'22
5
'23
1
'24
1
'25
1
'26

🔥 Experienced hires — crews based here you work up to

  • Dispatch — coordinate crews, engines, and aircraft by radio — off the fire line. A support role — usually needs some fire or dispatch experience.
  • Helitack — get flown to fires by helicopter for fast initial attack. Usually a season or two on the ground first.

Ironwood, Michigan

92 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 5 entry-level spots a year (44 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

5
'18
9
'19
9
'20
4
'21
7
'22
7
'23
1
'24
0
'25
1
'26

Gladstone, Michigan

90 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 6 entry-level spots a year (40 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

5
'18
6
'19
8
'20
5
'21
6
'22
7
'23
3
'24
0
'25
0
'26

Ontonagon, Michigan

84 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 5 entry-level spots a year (41 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

3
'18
8
'19
10
'20
5
'21
5
'22
8
'23
1
'24
0
'25
1
'26

Manistee, Michigan

75 postings since 2017

🌱 Entry-level here

  • Typically 6 entry-level spots a year (31 in all since 2017).
  • When they hire: postings peak in August, September, November — apply the fall and winter before the summer you want to work.
  • Where rookies start: engine & hand crews — digging line, mop-up, hose lays, and patrol.

Entry-level openings by fire season (the summer you'd work):

9
'18
9
'19
9
'20
0
'21
0
'22
2
'23
0
'24
2
'25
0
'26

🔥 Experienced hires — crews based here you work up to

  • Dispatch — coordinate crews, engines, and aircraft by radio — off the fire line. A support role — usually needs some fire or dispatch experience.

Bars count entry-level postings by fire season — the summer you'd work. Federal fire jobs are posted the fall and winter before (peak Aug–Oct), so each season's bar includes everything hired for that summer, not the calendar date it was posted. The "per year" figure averages complete seasons 2018–2026. Counts come from federal USAJOBS announcements; one regional announcement can list many towns, so these show how often a town appears — a strong signal of where the work is, not an exact headcount.

Michigan wildland firefighter jobs open right now

No Michigan jobs are open this minute — federal fire postings come in waves (mostly fall and winter). Browse all open jobs, or check back soon.

Wildland firefighter jobs in other states

California (4 open) Idaho (2 open) Arizona (2 open) Utah (2 open) South Dakota (1 open, 1 entry-level) Alaska (1 open) Texas (1 open) Oregon Montana Colorado Wyoming New Mexico Washington Nevada Minnesota Florida Virginia Tennessee North Carolina Mississippi Oklahoma Georgia Illinois Arkansas Missouri South Carolina Kentucky Wisconsin North Dakota Louisiana West Virginia Alabama Nebraska Pennsylvania Indiana New Hampshire Ohio Vermont Kansas

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