On-call firefighter pay 2026/27
On-call, or retained, firefighters are paid a yearly retainer for the cover they give, an hourly rate for the work they do and a payment for each call-out. This page explains each part with the figures from 1 July 2026 and examples of what a year can look like.
How on-call pay works
On-call pay has three parts, all worked out from the wholetime figures for your role in the national Grey Book.
- Retainer. A yearly payment, paid monthly, for being available. It is a percentage of the wholetime salary and depends on how many hours a week you cover. Full cover is 120 hours or more and earns 15%.
- Hourly rate. The wholetime hourly rate for the hours you work: attending incidents, drill nights, training and other duties.
- Disturbance payment. A fixed £5.31 each time you are called out, from 1 July 2026.
These come from the retained duty system rates in circular NJC/2/26. Services may add their own payments, such as a separate fee per turnout, an attendance fee or a drill night fee, so check your own service’s scale. Avon, for example, pays by turnout and attendance as well as the retainer.
Retainer by hours of cover
Retainers are paid in five bands. The table shows the yearly amount at the two firefighter rates.
| Hours of cover a week | Share of salary | Development | Competent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 hours | 5% | £1,577 | £2,018 |
| 31 to 60 hours | 7.5% | £2,365 | £3,027 |
| 61 to 90 hours | 10% | £3,154 | £4,036 |
| 91 to 119 hours | 12.5% | £3,942 | £5,045 |
| 120 hours or more | 15% | £4,731 | £6,054 |
The retainer rises with the pay award, so it moved up by 3.8% in July 2026. The calculator offers full cover and a smaller day crewing option, so for any other band, add the retainer amount from this table in the extra allowances box.
Hourly rate and what a year can look like
The hourly rate is £14.40 in development and £18.43 once competent. Here is what a competent firefighter on full cover could earn in a year, depending on how much work they do.
| Activity each month | Gross a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours and 4 call-outs | £8,520 | £634 |
| 20 hours and 8 call-outs | £10,986 | £819 |
| 40 hours and 16 call-outs | £15,919 | £1,138 |
These assume the 2015 fire pension, tax code 1257L and no other job, so they are the amount you would get if on-call were your only income. Most on-call firefighters have a main job.
Tax, pension and a main job
If on-call is a second job, your employer usually uses a BR tax code on it, which taxes every pound at 20%, because your personal allowance is used up by your main job. National Insurance is worked out separately on each job. Use the different tax code option in the calculator, or the second job tax calculator, to see what you actually keep.
On-call firefighters can join the 2015 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme. The retainer and hourly pay count as pensionable pay, and the rate you pay is set by your actual pay, so most pay the lowest rate, 11.09%. The disturbance payment does not count towards pension in our calculator.
On-call compared with wholetime
A competent wholetime firefighter is paid £40,358 for a 42-hour week and takes home about £2,376 a month, as set out on the firefighter salary page. On-call is designed to sit alongside another job or caring role, so it is not comparable on pay alone. Most people choose it for the community role and the extra income.
What an on-call firefighter does
On-call firefighters do the same emergency work as wholetime crews but are not based at the station. They carry an alerter and go to the station when it sounds. Much of the UK outside the big cities relies on them.
What you commit to
- Living or working close enough to reach the station within the service’s response time, often about five minutes.
- Agreeing the hours a week you can be on call, which sets your retainer band.
- A weekly drill night, plus training courses and community work.
- Where you give cover during work hours, permission from your main employer to leave for calls.
How to join
Services recruit on-call firefighters throughout the year for stations that need cover. You must be at least 18. Selection includes physical tests and a medical like wholetime recruitment, and initial training is arranged around your other commitments. Check with your local service for what applies, including how long development takes, which North Wales puts at 18 to 24 months on average.
Common questions
How much do on-call firefighters get paid?
A competent on-call firefighter on full cover gets a retainer of £6,054 a year plus £18.43 an hour for work done and £5.31 per call-out. With 20 hours and 8 call-outs a month that comes to about £10,986 a year.
What is the on-call firefighter retainer?
It is a yearly payment for being available, paid monthly. It is 15% of the wholetime salary for 120 hours or more of cover a week, and smaller for fewer hours, in bands from 5% to 12.5%.
How many hours do on-call firefighters have to cover?
It is agreed with your service. The retainer bands run from up to 30 hours to 120 hours or more a week, and many on-call firefighters give 60 to 120 hours of cover.
Is on-call firefighter pay taxed?
Yes. If on-call is a second job, your tax code is usually BR, which taxes all of it at 20%.
Is the retainer pensionable?
Yes. The retainer and your hourly pay count as pensionable pay in the 2015 fire pension.