The award was made on 19 December 2025, after the 26 February 2024 and 26 February 2025 increases had already fallen due, and published in the Industrial Gazette on 11 March 2026. It sets increases of 4% (26 February 2024), 4% (26 February 2025) and 6% (26 February 2026).
The award stays in force until 25 February 2027. No increase after 26 February 2026 is written into it; the award says Fire and Rescue NSW and the FBEU will start negotiating a new award nine months before it expires.
NSW firefighter pay 2026 at a glance
Full-time base salaries from 26 February 2026. Tap a table name for every row, or a salary to see it after tax.
| Pay table | Rows | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefighters (Schedule 1, Table 1 — station based) | 4 | $81,118 | $110,237 |
| Leading Firefighter and officers (Schedule 1, Table 1 — station based) | 7 | $116,476 | $209,798 |
Which agreement sets NSW firefighter pay
Firefighters employed by Fire and Rescue NSW are paid under the Crown Employees (Fire and Rescue NSW Permanent Firefighting Staff) Award 2024. The rates below apply from 26 February 2026 and were read from the source on 24 September 2026.
Fire and Rescue NSW pay scale — every classification
Annual full-time base salary before tax and before superannuation. Part-time staff are paid pro rata.
Firefighters (Schedule 1, Table 1 — station based)
Permanent firefighters from recruit through to Senior Firefighter. Progression to Qualified Firefighter needs 24 months' service from starting as a recruit, and to Senior Firefighter at least 72 months, plus the required training at each step.
Leading Firefighter and officers (Schedule 1, Table 1 — station based)
Leading Firefighter (reached by completing the Leading Firefighter Program) and the station-based officer ranks. Station Officer Team Member and Team Leader share one station-based rate.
| Classification | Annual salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Leading Firefighter | $116,476 | $2,233.78 per week |
| Station Officer (Team Member) | $132,076 | $2,532.95 per week |
| Station Officer (Team Leader) | $132,076 | $2,532.95 per week |
| Leading Station Officer | $135,196 | $2,592.79 per week |
| Inspector | $155,996 | $2,991.69 per week |
| Superintendent | $194,176 | Published as $194,176 per annum |
| Chief Superintendent | $209,798 | Published as $209,798 per annum |
Every salary links to its take-home figure. Take-home pages exist for every $1,000 up to $150,000 and in wider steps above that, so a salary without a page of its own links to the nearest one.
Recruit firefighter pay
Recruit Firefighters are paid $1,555.69 per week from 26 February 2026 (about $81,118 a year).
Unlike every other rank, the Recruit Firefighter rate does not include the roster allowance (clause 13.2.2).
A recruit moves to Firefighter ($1,795.01 per week) after satisfactorily completing the required training (clause 47.2), and stays on probation until six weeks after that progression (clause 47.1).
Shift penalties, loadings and allowances
Base salary is not the whole of it: firefighters on rotating rosters are paid extra for shift work. In summary, from the Crown Employees (Fire and Rescue NSW Permanent Firefighting Staff) Award 2024:
- The weekly rates are composite: they already include shift allowance, weekend and public holiday loading, industry allowance and (except for recruits) a roster allowance for working a 42-hour week (clauses 13.2–13.3).
- Station-based firefighters work the Standard 10/14 roster — four platoons over an 8-week cycle, day shifts 0800–1800 and night shifts 1800–0800 (clause 21.3).
- Non-station-based team members are paid a 15% weekly allowance on top of their substantive rate, and team leaders 20% (clause 49.4.3).
Check the instrument for the exact conditions that apply to your roster. Overtime is worked out separately — the overtime pay calculator handles time and a half and double time.
What a NSW firefighter salary is worth after tax
Every salary in the tables links to its take-home figure. Start with take-home pay on $81,000 for the entry rate or take-home pay on $110,000 for the top of the scale. Those figures cover base salary only; shift penalties and allowances are taxed as ordinary income on top.
Employer superannuation is paid on top of these salaries. For your own pay including penalties, a study loan or salary packaging, use the take-home pay calculator or the NSW pay calculator.
What this page does not show
We publish only what we could read from a primary source. These are left off rather than estimated:
- Retained (on-call) firefighters are covered by a separate award and are not shown here.
- Allowances such as Hazmat, aerial, rescue and service allowances are paid on top of the rates shown and are not included.
NSW firefighter pay questions
Firefighter pay in other states
How this page is sourced▼
Every salary on this page was read from the Crown Employees (Fire and Rescue NSW Permanent Firefighting Staff) Award 2024 or Fire and Rescue NSW’s own published pay table on 24 September 2026, and applies from 26 February 2026. Nothing is estimated, averaged or interpolated. Where the instrument publishes a weekly or fortnightly rate, the annual figure is that rate multiplied out and the published rate is shown in the notes column.
Take-home figures come from the site’s own calculator using ATO rates for the current income year.
Sources & References
- 1Crown Employees (Fire and Rescue NSW Permanent Firefighting Staff) Award 2024 (Serial C10121)— Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales — NSW Industrial Gazette
Last verified: 24 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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