Firefighter pay and pension
Everything for fire and rescue staff: what you take home in every role, wholetime, on-call or control, what your pension will pay, and guides to overtime, CPD and promotion.
Firefighter pay calculator
Take-home for firefighter to area manager, with on-call retainers and call-outs, control rates, CPD, overtime, temporary promotion and the fire pension.
Firefighter pension calculator
Your pension and lump sum at retirement in today’s money, across the 2015, 2006 and 1992 schemes, with the McCloud choice.
Firefighter pay guides
Firefighter pay in 2026/27 at a glance
- 3.8% on every role and on CPD payments from 1 July 2026, agreed by the NJC.
- Firefighters start on £31,539 in development and reach £40,358 once competent.
- Area Managers earn up to £77,186. Control staff get 95% of the firefighting rate.
- Fire pension contributions are 11.09% to 17.09% of actual pay in England.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a firefighter take home a month?
A trainee (development) firefighter on £31,539 takes home about £1,952 a month from July 2026, after tax, NI and the fire pension. A competent firefighter on £40,358 takes home about £2,376.
What is the firefighter pay rise for 2026?
The NJC agreed 3.8% on all basic pay rates from 1 July 2026. It covers wholetime, on-call and control staff from firefighter to area manager.
What is a firefighter’s hourly rate?
£18.43 an hour for a competent firefighter, based on the 42-hour week. A firefighter in development gets £14.40. On-call firefighters are paid the same hourly rate for the work they do.
How much do firefighters pay into their pension?
Between 11.09% and 17.09% of pensionable pay from April 2026, in five bands set by what you actually earn. A competent firefighter pays 12.59%, which is £423.42 a month, but it only reduces take-home by about £338.74 because it comes off before tax.
How much do on-call firefighters earn?
It depends on how much cover you give and how many calls you attend. On full cover you get a retainer of 15% of the whole-time salary, plus the hourly rate for calls, drills and training, plus £5.31 for each call-out. A competent on-call firefighter with 20 paid hours and 8 call-outs a month gets about £10,986 a year.
How long does it take to become a competent firefighter?
Most services expect it to take around two to three years in development. You move to the competent rate once your service confirms you are competent in the role, not on a fixed date.
Is CPD pay pensionable for firefighters?
Yes. The continuous professional development payment counts as pensionable pay in the 2015 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme. Overtime and temporary promotion pay do not.
Do firefighters get uniform tax relief?
Yes. HMRC has a flat-rate expense of £80 a year for fire service uniform and kit. Claiming it adds £80 to your tax-free allowance, which saves £16 a year at the basic rate.