NJC Fire and Rescue Services pay calculator 2026 | Expert Zoom

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the NJC Fire and Rescue Services pay award for 2025-2026?

  The National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Authorities' Fire and Rescue Services agreed a 3.2% pay increase effective 1 July 2025, covering the period 2025-2026. This applies to approximately 37,000 wholetime and retained firefighters and fire control staff in England and Wales. A Firefighter Competent now earns £38,881 per year, and a Watch Manager Competent B earns £48,202 per year. The agreement also includes a commitment to pay structure reform by 1 July 2026 to address broken promotional progression.

• How much does a firefighter earn in England and Wales in 2025?

  Under the NJC pay award effective 1 July 2025, a Firefighter Competent earns £38,881 per year gross. A Firefighter in Development earns approximately £29,542 while still gaining competency. More senior grades range from Crew Manager Competent (£44,523) up to Area Manager A (£82,551). These are basic rates before London weighting, overtime, or allowances.

• How is redundancy pay calculated for fire and rescue service employees?

  Fire and rescue service employees are entitled to the statutory minimum redundancy payment under ERA 1996 s.162: 0.5 week's pay for each year of service under age 22, 1 week's pay for each year aged 22-40, and 1.5 weeks' pay for each year aged 41 or over. The maximum qualifying period is 20 years, and the weekly pay is capped at £700 (from April 2026). The maximum statutory payment is therefore £21,000. Some individual fire authorities may provide enhanced redundancy above this floor — check your local conditions of service and contact your FBU representative.

• How many days annual leave do firefighters get under the NJC?

  The statutory minimum under the Working Time Regulations 1998 is 28 days (5.6 weeks). The NJC conditions of service for fire and rescue typically provide above this minimum, with wholetime firefighters commonly receiving around 30 days for those with less than 5 years' service, rising to 31-32 days for longer-serving staff. Bank and public holidays (typically 8 days per year) are usually additional. Because firefighters work varied shift patterns (e.g. 2-2-4 rota), leave is often calculated in shifts by individual fire authorities.

• What is the notice period for a firefighter?

  Under ERA 1996 s.86, the statutory minimum notice an employer must give is 1 week per complete year of service, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. Firefighters resigning must give a minimum of 1 week under statute, though the NJC contractual notice is typically 1 month. For employer-initiated termination, NJC contractual notice is typically 1 month for less than 4 years' service, 2 months for 4-9 years, and 3 months for 10 or more years. The higher of statutory and contractual notice always applies.

• Which pension scheme covers firefighters in England and Wales?

  Most firefighters who joined after April 2015 are in the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (FPS 2015), a defined benefit career average revalued earnings (CARE) scheme with a normal pension age of 60. Employee contribution rates are tiered: 11% on pay up to £27,319; 12.5% on £27,320-£50,817; 13.5% on £50,818-£142,500; and 14.5% above that. The employer contributes approximately 27.5%. Older firefighters may remain in FPS 2006 or FPS 1992. Members transferred from older schemes to FPS 2015 may have McCloud remedy protections.

• What is the NJC pay structure reform commitment in the 2025-2026 settlement?

  As part of the 2025-2026 NJC settlement, fire employers and the FBU agreed to work towards a reformed pay structure by 1 July 2026. The reform aims to address the current broken promotional progression, where the pay differential between grades has compressed over successive flat-rate or low-percentage awards, reducing the financial incentive to seek promotion. The outcome of that reform process will determine new pay relativities between NJC grades from 2026.

• Do retained (on-call) firefighters receive the same pay as wholetime firefighters?

  Retained Duty System (RDS) or on-call firefighters do not receive a fixed annual salary in the same way as wholetime colleagues. Instead, they receive an annual retaining fee, a disturbance allowance per operational call-out, drill pay for training sessions, and any applicable special allowances. The hourly rate for operational duties is derived from the NJC Firefighter Competent rate. Individual fire authorities set their specific RDS rate cards within the NJC framework.

• Does the NJC fire pay award apply to fire control staff?

  Yes. The NJC for Local Authorities' Fire and Rescue Services covers both operational (wholetime and retained) firefighters and fire control staff (those working in fire control rooms on call management and mobilisation). Fire control staff have their own grading structure within the NJC framework but receive the same percentage pay award as operational firefighters.

• Is the FBU affiliated to the TUC and what rights do firefighters have to union representation?

  Yes, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Firefighters have the right to be represented by their FBU representative in disciplinary hearings, grievances, and other formal employment matters under the Employment Relations Act 1999 and TULRCA 1992. The FBU is recognised as the principal trade union for NJC negotiations covering firefighters in England and Wales.