Firefighter salary in Scotland
National Grey Book rates from 1 July 2026 pay a development firefighter £31,539 and a competent firefighter £40,358. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service pays wholetime firefighters on these national rates.
- Development rate: £31,539
- Rise from 1 July 2026: 3.8%
Take-home pay
From a salary of £31,539 a year
Estimate with tax code 1257L, Scottish income tax and National Insurance on an annual basis, before pension contributions.
Firefighter pay rates
National Grey Book basic pay for wholetime staff.
| Role | From 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2025 | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefighter (development) | £31,539 | £30,384 | £14.40 |
| Firefighter (competent) | £40,358 | £38,881 | £18.43 |
| Crew manager (development) | £42,892 | £41,322 | £19.59 |
| Crew manager (competent) | £44,742 | £43,104 | £20.43 |
| Watch manager (development) | £45,711 | £44,038 | £20.87 |
| Watch manager (competent A) | £46,980 | £45,260 | £21.45 |
| Watch manager (competent B) | £50,034 | £48,202 | £22.85 |
| Station manager (development) | £52,040 | £50,135 | |
| Station manager (competent A) | £53,604 | £51,642 | |
| Station manager (competent B) | £57,402 | £55,301 |
Scottish Fire and Rescue salary: how it is set
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) pays wholetime firefighters on the national Grey Book rates. The UK National Joint Council (NJC) sets these rates.
The evidence is in SFRS's own recruitment. Its wholetime firefighter advert of 24 March 2026 offered £30,384 to £38,881. Those are exactly the national development and competent rates from July 2025.
The SFRS careers page itself only says "competitive salary" and gives no figures.
The July 2026 pay award
NJC circular NJC/2/26, dated 8 July 2026, gives a 3.8% rise from 1 July 2026. The Fire Brigades Union accepted the award. The previous award was 3.2% from 1 July 2025.
SFRS has not yet published its own figures for July 2026. SFRS advertised on the 2025 national rates, so the 2026 national rates are the best guide. Check your payslip or ask SFRS to confirm.
Firefighter salary Scotland: key rates
| Role | From 1 July 2025 | From 1 July 2026 (national) |
|---|---|---|
| Firefighter, development | £30,384 | £31,539 |
| Firefighter, competent | £38,881 | £40,358 |
| Crew manager, competent | £43,104 | £44,742 |
| Watch manager, competent B | £48,202 | £50,034 |
| Station manager, competent B | £55,301 | £57,402 |
The pay year runs from 1 July to 30 June. A firefighter figure quoted in June is still the previous year's rate.
The 3.8% is applied to each 2025 rate. A competent firefighter's £38,881 plus 3.8% gives £40,358. A development firefighter's £30,384 becomes £31,539.
Development and competent rates
Each role has a development rate and a higher competent rate. A new firefighter starts on the development rate. The current NJC tables have no separate trainee rate.
From 1 July 2026, the national rates are:
- Crew manager: £42,892 in development, £44,742 when competent.
- Watch manager: £45,711 in development, then £46,980 or £50,034 at competent A or B.
- Station manager: £52,040 in development, then £53,604 or £57,402 at competent A or B.
- Group manager: £59,937 in development, then £61,736 or £66,445.
- Area manager: £70,368 in development, then £72,476 or £77,186.
Hourly and overtime rates
The basic hourly rate is £14.40 for a development firefighter and £18.43 when competent. Overtime is £21.60 and £27.65 an hour.
A competent crew manager earns £20.43 an hour basic, with overtime at £30.65. The overtime rates work out at one and a half times the basic rate.
| Role | Basic per hour | Overtime per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Firefighter, development | £14.40 | £21.60 |
| Firefighter, competent | £18.43 | £27.65 |
| Watch manager, development | £20.87 | £31.31 |
| Watch manager, competent B | £22.85 | £34.28 |
Take-home pay for a competent firefighter
On the national competent rate of £40,358, a full year under 2026/27 Scottish tax looks like this. It assumes a standard tax code and no pension.
| Item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Gross salary | £40,358 |
| Scottish income tax | £5,626 |
| National Insurance | £2,223 |
| Take-home before pension | £32,509 |
That is about £2,709 a month. Pension contributions will lower it.
How the figures are worked out
- Taxable pay is £40,358 minus the £12,570 personal allowance, which is £27,788.
- Starter and basic rates take £753.73 and £2,597.80.
- Intermediate rate: 21% on £10,832 is £2,274.72.
- Income tax totals £5,626.25.
- National Insurance is 8% on £27,788, which is £2,223.04.
Quick answers
- How much does a firefighter earn in Scotland?
On national Grey Book rates from 1 July 2026, a development firefighter earns £31,539 and a competent firefighter £40,358. SFRS pays wholetime firefighters on these national rates.
- What is the starting salary for a firefighter in Scotland?
New firefighters start on the development rate. Nationally that is £31,539 from 1 July 2026. SFRS's March 2026 advert started at £30,384, the 2025 rate.
- Does the 3.8% firefighter pay rise apply in Scotland?
The 3.8% national award runs from 1 July 2026. SFRS pays national Grey Book rates, but SFRS has not yet published its own 2026 figures.
- How much does a crew manager earn in the fire service?
From 1 July 2026, the national rate is £42,892 in development and £44,742 when competent.
- What is the firefighter overtime rate?
From 1 July 2026, national overtime is £21.60 an hour for a development firefighter and £27.65 when competent.
- What is a competent firefighter's take-home pay in Scotland?
On £40,358, take-home is about £2,709 a month before pension, with a standard tax code.