Fire service officers (watch manager and below) Pay Data UK — 2025

Fire service officers (watch manager and below) roles in the UK earn a median of £46,000 per year, equivalent to £19.66 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 11.9% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £37,000 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £52,500 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £44,033/yr (4% above our computed national average).

Labour Market

Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Fire service officers (watch manager and below) across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.

Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay grew by +11.9% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Fire service officers (watch manager and below).

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Fire service officers (watch manager and below)

Fire service officers (watch manager and below) co-ordinate and participate in firefighting activities, provide emergency services in the event of accidents or bomb alerts, and advise on fire prevention.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• inspects premises to identify potential fire hazards and to check that firefighting equipment is available and in working order and that statutory fire safety regulations are met
• arranges fire drills and tests alarm systems and equipment
• travels to fire or other emergency by vehicle and locates water mains if necessary
• operates hose pipes, ladders, chemical, foam, gas or powder fire extinguishing appliances
• rescues people or animals trapped by fire or other emergency situations such as flooding and administers first aid
• removes goods from fire damaged premises, clears excess water, makes safe any structural hazards and takes any other necessary steps to reduce damage to property
• attends and deals with bomb alerts and accidents involving spillage of hazardous substances
• advises on fire safety measures in new buildings
• supervises a watch

Entry Routes and Qualifications

There are no formal academic requirements, although applicants to fire control roles must demonstrate basic literacy and numeracy, keyboard and communication skills. Applicants to fire-fighter roles must pass psychological, physical and medical tests. Some Fire and Rescue Services operate direct entry recruitment processes to managerial operational roles. There is a minimum age limit of 18 years for entry to fire-fighter and control operator roles and DBS checks can be required.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.