Circular NJC/2/26 – Pay award 2026

National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services

Employers’ Secretary, Sarah Ward 
18 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HZ
Telephone: 020 7664 3000
[email protected]

Employees’ Secretary, Steve Wright
Ken Cameron House, 
171-173 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1X 8UE 
Telephone 020 8541 1765

To: Chairs of fire authorities 
Chief fire officers
Chief executives/Clerks to fire authorities
Directors of HR (Fire Authorities)
Members of the National Joint Council

08 July 2026

Circular NJC/2/26

Dear Colleague,

Pay award 2026

1.  The NJC has agreed an increase of 3.8 per cent with effect from 1 July 2026. This circular contains the revised rates of pay from 1 July 2026:

Appendix A

Pay rates for firefighting roles

Appendix B

Pay rates for the retained duty system

Appendix C

Pay rates for control specific roles

Appendix D

Pay rates for non-operational staff and junior firefighters


2. In all cases annual figures are rounded to the nearest pound first, then hourly rates are derived from the appropriate annual figure divided by 52.143 (rounded to nearest penny) then by 42 (rounded to nearest penny).

3. The NJC has agreed that Continual Professional Development payments will also increase by 3.8 per cent with effect from 1 July 2026. Please see the separate NJC circular for the increased payments (NJC/3/26 refers).

4. Some pay rates for Fire Control Operator equivalents and Junior Firefighters in Appendix D have been uplifted to comply with the National Minimum /Living Wage.

Yours faithfully,

Sarah Ward
Steve Wright
Joint Secretaries

 

Appendix A

Firefighting roles - pay rates from 1 July 2026
  Basic annual £ Basic hourly rate £ Overtime rate £

Firefighter

      
Development 31,539 14.40 21.60
Competent 40,358 18.43 27.65
     

Crew manager

    
Development 42,892 19.59 29.39
Competent 44,742 20.43 30.65
     

Watch manager

    
Development 45,711 20.87 31.31
Competent A 46,980 21.45 32.18
Competent B 50,034 22.85 34.28
     

Station manager

    
Development 52,040 23.76 35.64
Competent A 53,604 24.48 36.72
Competent B 57,402 26.21 39.32
   

Group manager

  
Development 59,937 27.37 Not applicable
Competent A 61,736 28.19 Not applicable
Competent B 66,445 30.34 Not applicable
   

Area manager

  
Development 70,368 32.13 Not applicable
Competent A 72,476 33.09 Not applicable
Competent B 77,186 35.24 Not applicable

 

Appendix B

Firefighting roles – pay rates from 1 July 2026 (Retained duty system)
  (1) £ per annum (2) £ per annum (3) £ per  hour (4) £ per  occasion

Firefighter

        
Development 4,731 1,577 14.40 5.31
Competent 6,054 2,018 18.43 5.31
         

Crew manager

        
Development 6,434 2,145 19.59 5.31
Competent 6,711 2,237 20.43 5.31
         

Watch manager

        
Development 6,857 2,286 20.87 5.31
Competent A 7,047 2,349 21.45 5.31
Competent B 7,505 2,502 22.85 5.31
         

Station manager

        
Development 7,806 2,602 23.76 5.31
Competent A 8,041 2,680 24.48 5.31
Competent B 8,610 2,870 26.21 5.31
         

Group manager

        
Development 8,991 2,997 27.37 5.31
Competent A 9,260 3,087 28.19 5.31
Competent B 9,967 3,322 30.34 5.31
         

Area manager

        
Development 10,555 3,518 32.13 5.31
Competent A 10,871 3,624 33.09 5.31
Competent B 11,578 3,859 35.24 5.31

Column 1 shows the full annual retainer (15 per cent of the full-time basic annual salary, as set out in Appendix A)
Column 2 shows the annual retainer for employees on the day crewing duty system (five per sent of the full-time basic annual salary, as set out in Appendix A)
Column 3 shows the hourly rate for work activity
Column 4 shows the disturbance payment per call-out

 

Appendix C

Control specific roles - pay rates from 1 July 2026 *(95 per cent of the respective firefighting role basic annual salary, as set out in Appendix A)
  Basic annual* £ Basic hourly rate £ Overtime rate £

Firefighter (Control)

      
Development 29,962 13.68 20.52
Competent 38,340 17.51 26.27
       

Crew manager (Control)

      
Development 40,747 18.61 27.92
Competent 42,505 19.41 29.12
       

Watch manager (Control)

      
Development 43,425 19.83 29.75
Competent A 44,631 20.38 30.57
Competent B 47,532 21.70 32.55
       

Station manager (Control)

      
Development 49,438 22.57 33.86
Competent A 50,924 23.25 34.88
Competent B 54,532 24.90 37.35
     

Group manager (Control)

    
Development 56,940 26.00 Not applicable
Competent A 58,649 26.78 Not applicable
Competent B 63,123 28.82 Not applicable

 

Non-operational staff - pay rates from 1 July 2026
  £  per annum  

Fire control operator equivalent

    
During first six months 27,835 *Uprated due to NLW
After six months and during 2nd year 27,835 *Uprated due to NLW
During 3rd year 28,210  
During 4th year 29,596  
During 5th year 32,236  
     

Leading fire control operator equivalent

 34,523  
     

Senior fire control operator equivalent

    
During 1st year in rank 35,405  
During 2nd year in rank 36,748  

 

Junior firefighters - pay rates from 1 July 2026
  £  per annum  
Aged 16 27,756  
Aged 17 27,756  
Aged 18 30,277