What changed
The award applies across the national NJC pay structure. Annual figures are rounded first; the hourly rate is then derived using the national 42-hour calculation. Published overtime rates for roles up to station manager are also shown in the circular.
A national award changes the baseline, not every line of a payslip. Local allowances, flexible-duty payments, acting-up arrangements and the date arrears reach payroll can produce different monthly results.
The headline firefighter rates
A development firefighter is paid £31,539 a year, £14.40 an hour and £21.60 at the published overtime rate. A competent firefighter is paid £40,358 a year, £18.43 an hour and £27.65 at the published overtime rate.
Crew manager, watch manager and station manager rates also increased. Group and area managers have national annual and hourly figures, but the circular does not publish a standard overtime rate for those roles.
What happened to on-call pay
The full annual retainer remains 15% of the matching wholetime salary and the day-crewing retainer 5%. For a competent firefighter, the published full retainer is £6,054 and the day-crewing figure £2,018. Work activity is paid at £18.43 an hour and the disturbance payment is £5.31 per occasion.
On-call contracts and availability bands can be implemented locally, so use the national table as a baseline and check the contract issued by your service.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2026 firefighter pay rise confirmed?
Yes. NJC Circular 2/26 records the agreed 3.8% increase and revised rates from 1 July 2026.
Will I receive back pay?
That depends on when your service implements the award. If implementation follows the effective date, payroll may include arrears back to 1 July.