On-call Firefighter Pay Scales
As an On-call Firefighter, you will receive a monthly allowance based upon the number of hours you are available for call out, plus a fixed fee for every call out, and an hourly rate for whilst you are attending incidents.
On average, On-call firefighters provide between 40 and 120 hours cover per week to help serve their local community. Please see the table below for those rates.
The table below shows salaries in the Fire Service with effect from 1 January 2025.
| Position | Whole-time Annual Salary | 15% retainer 120 hours and above * | 12.5% retainer, 91 to 119 hours | 10% retainer, 61 to 90 hours | 7.5% retainer, 31 to 60 hours | 5% retainer up to 30 hours | Basic pay rate per hour ** | Rate per occasion *** |
| Firefight-er | ||||||||
| Trainee | £28,265.0 | £4,239.75 | £3,533.13 | £2,826.50 | £2,119.88 | £1,413.25 | £12.91 | £4.96 |
| Developm-ent | £29,442.0 | £4,416.30 | £3,680.25 | £2,944.20 | £2,208.15 | £1,472.10 | £13.44 | £4.96 |
| Competent | £37,675.0 | £5,651.25 | £4,709.38 | £3,767.50 | £2,825.63 | £1,883.75 | £17.20 | £4.96 |
| Crew Manager | ||||||||
| Developm-ent | £40,041.0 | £6,006.15 | £5,005.13 | £4,004.10 | £3,003.08 | £2,002.05 | £18.28 | £4.96 |
| Competent | £41,767.0 | £6,265.05 | £5,220.88 | £4,176.70 | £3,132.53 | £2,088.35 | £19.07 | £4.96 |
| Watch Manager | ||||||||
| Developm-ent | £42,672.0 | £6,400.80 | £5,334.00 | £4,267.20 | £3,200.40 | £2,133.60 | £19.48 | £4.96 |
| Competent A | £43,857.0 | £6,578.55 | £5,482.13 | £4,385.70 | £3,289.28 | £2,192.85 | £20.03 | £4.96 |
| Competent B | £46,707.0 | £7,006.05 | £5,838.38 | £4,670.70 | £3,503.03 | £2,335.35 | £21.33 | £4.96 |
More senior posts attract varying rates of pay.
*The Full Annual Retainer
This is the full annual retainer for an employee providing full cover (which is defined 120 hours and above per week – hpw) and is 15% of the annual basic pay of a wholetime employee in the same role.
**Rate Per Hour
This is the basic hourly rate of a wholetime employee in the same role.
***Disturbance Payment Per Occasion
This is the fixed disturbance payment made on each occasion that an employee is called out.