Firefighter Salary UK 2025 | Take-Home Pay Calculator
Calculate your take-home pay as a wholetime or retained firefighter. Includes Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 contributions, London Fire Brigade rates, overtime, and on-call retained pay. NJC pay scales 2025. Updated for 2025/26 tax year.
Firefighter Take-Home Pay Calculator 2025
UK Firefighter NJC Pay Scale 2025
| Role | NJC Base Pay | LFB (approx) | Monthly Take-Home* (no pension) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Firefighter | £27,750 | ~£32,000 | £2,015 |
| Competent Firefighter | £37,695 | ~£43,000 | £2,626 |
| Crew Manager | £41,548 | ~£47,000 | £2,775 |
| Watch Manager A | £45,772 | ~£52,000 | £2,960 |
| Watch Manager B | £47,745 | ~£54,000 | £3,041 |
| Station Manager A | £53,109 | ~£60,000 | £3,244 |
| Station Manager B | £57,435 | ~£65,000 | £3,420 |
| Group Manager A | £62,325 | ~£71,000 | £3,600 |
| Area Manager A | £72,975 | ~£83,000 | £3,980 |
*Monthly take-home before FPS 2015 pension contributions. Pension contributions reduce monthly take-home by approximately £200-£650 depending on salary. LFB figures are approximate. Figures based on 2025/26 tax rates.
Retained (On-Call) Firefighter Pay 2025
| Component | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Retaining Fee | £6,000-£15,000 | Varies by availability requirement and location |
| Drill / Training Payment | ~£14-£20/hour | Per training session attended |
| Incident Payment | ~£12-£18/hour | Per emergency response attended |
| Standby Payment | Varies | Some services pay for periods of guaranteed availability |
| Total (busy station) | £18,000-£25,000 | Highly variable; secondary income for most |
Firefighter Salaries in the UK in 2025
Firefighter salaries in England are set by the National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Authorities' Fire and Rescue Services, which negotiates pay between employer representatives and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). In 2025, following sustained pressure from the FBU over years of real-terms pay cuts due to below-inflation settlements, NJC rates include the pay awards agreed in recent bargaining rounds. Despite improvements, real-terms firefighter pay remains below its pre-austerity peak.
The UK fire and rescue service employs both wholetime (full-time) firefighters and retained (on-call) firefighters. There are approximately 28,000 wholetime firefighters and 12,000 retained firefighters in England. The two groups have very different pay structures, with wholetime firefighters receiving full NJC salaries and retained firefighters receiving a retaining fee plus incident and training payments.
The Two-Two-Four Shift System
The standard shift pattern for UK wholetime firefighters is the two-two-four system, sometimes called the continental shift system. Under this pattern, firefighters work two day shifts (typically 09:00-18:00, nine hours), two night shifts (18:00-09:00, fifteen hours), and then have four days off. The cycle repeats continuously, with a different watch (Red, Blue, Green, or White) covering each rotation. This results in an average working week of 42 hours, factored into the NJC pay agreement.
The shift system creates a distinctive working lifestyle. Firefighters typically work eight to ten duty days per month, with extended stretches of days off between blocks of shifts. This pattern is popular with many firefighters as it provides large blocks of off-duty time, though the nights and bank holidays are significant sacrifices. The shift pattern is already accounted for in the NJC salary, so no additional shift allowance is paid separately — the salary represents all hours worked across the shift cycle.
The Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015
Firefighters who joined after 1 April 2015 are enrolled in the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (FPS 2015), a CARE (Career Average Revalued Earnings) scheme. Each year of service, members build up 1/59.7 of their pensionable pay as a pension entitlement. This entitlement is revalued annually in line with CPI inflation. The normal retirement age under FPS 2015 is 60.
Contribution rates under FPS 2015 are tiered: 8.5% on pensionable pay up to £27,047 per year; 9.5% on £27,047-£51,515; 12.5% on £51,516-£142,500; and 14.5% above £142,500. For a competent firefighter on £37,695, contributions total approximately 8.5% on £27,047 (£2,299) plus 9.5% on £10,648 (£1,012) = approximately £3,311 per year. These contributions are deducted before tax, so they attract full income tax relief at the officer's marginal rate.
Benefits of Working as a Firefighter
Beyond salary, firefighters receive an excellent total compensation package. The FPS 2015 defined benefit pension is substantially more valuable than most private sector defined contribution pensions. Firefighters receive 28 days of paid annual leave (rising with service), and many services provide additional operational discretionary leave. Health and wellbeing support, including occupational health services and mental health support, is provided given the significant operational stressors of the role. Many fire services also provide concessionary gym membership and wellbeing programmes. The collegial working environment and sense of purpose are widely cited by firefighters as non-financial benefits of enormous value.
Frequently Asked Questions: Firefighter Salary UK 2025
What is the starting salary for a firefighter in 2025?
A development firefighter (in training) starts at £27,750 per year under NJC pay scales. Once deemed competent, pay rises to £37,695. London Fire Brigade pays approximately £32,000-£43,000 at these stages. After FPS 2015 pension contributions and income tax, a competent firefighter on £37,695 takes home approximately £2,100-£2,200/month.
How does the two-two-four shift system work?
The two-two-four shift system involves: two day shifts (09:00-18:00, 9 hours each), two night shifts (18:00-09:00, 15 hours each), then four days off. The cycle repeats continuously with four watches (Red, Blue, Green, White) covering each rotation. This gives an average of 42 hours per week. The shift system is factored into NJC salary — no separate shift allowance is paid on top of the base rate.
How much do retained (on-call) firefighters earn?
Retained firefighters receive: an annual retaining fee of £6,000-£15,000, plus drill payments of ~£14-20/hour for training, plus incident payments of ~£12-18/hour for emergency responses. A retained firefighter at a busy station attending many incidents may earn £18,000-£25,000/year, though this is highly variable. Retained income is typically secondary income for most retained firefighters.
What pension contributions do firefighters make?
FPS 2015 contributions are: 8.5% on pay up to £27,047; 9.5% on £27,047-£51,515; 12.5% on £51,516-£142,500; 14.5% above £142,500. For a competent firefighter on £37,695, annual contributions are approximately £3,311 (£276/month). Contributions attract tax relief, reducing the effective net cost. The pension is a defined benefit and extremely valuable — equivalent contributions in a private scheme would not deliver equivalent retirement income.
Do London Fire Brigade firefighters earn more?
Yes. LFB pays significantly above NJC national rates. A competent LFB firefighter earns approximately £42,000-£44,000 vs £37,695 nationally. LFB Watch Managers earn approximately £52,000-£55,000 vs £45,772-£47,745 nationally. LFB also pays a London Allowance on top of higher base rates. After pension contributions and income tax, the LFB take-home advantage is real but reduced compared to the gross differential.
What are the physical fitness requirements for firefighters?
Firefighters must meet specific physical fitness standards for recruitment and may be tested periodically during service. The standard fitness test involves a Chester Treadmill Walk Test to VO2 max level 8 (approximately 35 ml/kg/min), plus a grip strength test of 35kg in both hands. Operational firefighters must also pass a breathing apparatus search and rescue exercise wearing full BA kit (25kg+). Many services also require regular fitness assessments as part of occupational health monitoring throughout a firefighter's career.
What benefits do firefighters receive beyond salary?
Firefighters receive: FPS 2015 defined benefit pension (excellent value), 28+ days paid annual leave, occupational health support, mental health and wellbeing programmes, potential gym membership concessions, structured progression through watch and station management, blue light discount schemes, and access to Fire Brigades Union legal and welfare support. The total compensation package, when the pension value is included, is significantly higher than the base salary alone suggests.