Firefighter pay calculator 2026/27
Take-home pay for firefighters from 1 July 2026. Pick wholetime, on-call or control, then your role and pay stage, and add CPD, overtime and allowances.
Your fire service job
Full-time shift or day duty, 42 hours a week. Pay from 1 July 2026.
Add to your pay
Deductions and tax
Basic pay and CPD count for your pension. Overtime and temporary promotion pay do not.
See take-home for every pay period
- Annually
- £28,512.50
- Monthly
- £2,376.04
- 4-weekly
- £2,193.27
- Fortnightly
- £1,096.63
- Weekly
- £548.32
- Daily (5-day week)
- £109.66
Pay stages as Firefighter
Take-home a month at each stage, with everything you entered above.
| Stage | Salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Development | £31,539 | £1,952.46 |
| Competent | £40,358 | £2,376.04 |
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Every wholetime role at a glance
| Stage | Salary | Pension | Monthly take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefighter | |||
| Development | £31,539 | 11.09% | £1,952.46 |
| Competent | £40,358 | 12.59% | £2,376.04 |
| Crew Manager | |||
| Development | £42,892 | 12.59% | £2,506.81 |
| Competent | £44,742 | 12.59% | £2,602.29 |
| Watch Manager | |||
| Development | £45,711 | 14.09% | £2,606.58 |
| Competent A | £46,980 | 14.09% | £2,670.80 |
| Competent B | £50,034 | 14.09% | £2,825.35 |
| Station Manager | |||
| Development | £52,040 | 14.09% | £2,935.72 |
| Competent A | £53,604 | 14.09% | £3,022.69 |
| Competent B | £57,402 | 14.09% | £3,233.88 |
| Group Manager | |||
| Development | £59,937 | 14.09% | £3,354.48 |
| Competent A | £61,736 | 14.09% | £3,428.76 |
| Competent B | £66,445 | 14.09% | £3,623.19 |
| Area Manager | |||
| Development | £70,368 | 15.59% | £3,732.38 |
| Competent A | £72,476 | 15.59% | £3,817.84 |
| Competent B | £77,186 | 15.59% | £4,008.78 |
Wholetime, 42-hour week, tax code 1257L, Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2015 member, no CPD, no student loan. Yearly rates from 1 July 2026.
How firefighter take-home pay is worked out
A firefighter in development starts on £31,539. They pay 11.09% into the fire pension, which is £3,497.68 a year taken before tax. Income Tax is £3,094.26 and National Insurance is £1,517.52, leaving £23,429.54 a year, or £1,952.46 a month.
Once your service signs you off as competent, pay jumps to £40,358. That one step is worth £424 a month in take-home pay, more than the promotion from firefighter to crew manager.
The fire pension is one of the most expensive public sector schemes to be in. A competent firefighter pays 12.59% of pay, against about 9% for a nurse or teacher on a similar salary. In return it has a pension age of 60, and a lump sum and ill-health cover built for a physical job.
Fire pension contribution rates 2026/27
| Actual yearly pensionable pay | You pay |
|---|---|
| £36,130 or less | 11.09% |
| £36,131 to £45,407 | 12.59% |
| £45,408 to £66,908 | 14.09% |
| £66,909 to £190,691 | 15.59% |
| £190,692 or more | 17.09% |
These rates for the 2015 scheme came in on 1 April 2026 and are set on your actual pensionable pay, so on-call and part-time firefighters pay the rate for what they really earn. The whole of your pay is charged at one rate: a firefighter on £36,130 pays 11.09%, but £1 more moves the whole salary to 12.59%, which costs about £433 a year in take-home pay.
What is not included
- CPD payment. Paid by most services to competent staff, at a rate each service sets. It counts for your pension. Add it in the calculator.
- Flexi duty and day crewing allowances. Station and group managers on flexi duty, and crews on day crewing plus, usually get an allowance on top.
- Overtime and public holidays. Paid on top for roles up to Station Manager.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland. Basic pay follows the same NJC rates, but the pension contribution rates here are for England. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own scheme rates.
To check your own payslip, use the take-home pay calculator, add a pension, choose “Workplace, whole salary” and enter your rate.
Common questions
How much is the firefighter pay rise for 2026?
The NJC for local authority fire and rescue services agreed 3.8% on basic pay from 1 July 2026. It applies to wholetime, on-call and control roles.
What does a new firefighter earn?
A firefighter in development earns £31,539 from July 2026, which is about £1,952 a month after tax, National Insurance and the fire pension.
How much do firefighters pay into their pension?
11.09% of pay up to £36,130, 12.59% up to £45,407, 14.09% up to £66,908, 15.59% up to £190,691 and 17.09% above, from 1 April 2026. It is taken before Income Tax.
How are firefighter hourly rates worked out?
The yearly salary is divided by 52.143 weeks and then by 42 hours. That gives the rate for overtime and for on-call work.
Do firefighters get paid overtime?
Yes, up to Station Manager. Overtime is paid at time and a half of your hourly rate. Group Managers and above do not get paid overtime.
Do fire control staff get paid the same as firefighters?
Control staff are paid 95% of the firefighting rate for the same role. A competent firefighter (control) earns £38,340 from July 2026.