Firefighter Salary Australia
Updated Firefighter Salary’s in the description below as well as links to each services pay agreement.
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In this blog post, I cover the fire services from around Australia for Firefighter Salary. I also have a download of the resources these rates come from. Learn How To Succeed At The Firefighting Aptitude Test
The average Firefighter Salary in Australia is ….
Although firefighting is a noble profession in the eyes of many. You may be thinking, how much do they get paid OR could I survive on the pay of a firefighter if I am seriously considering a career change? For some it will be a pay cut, for others a pay rise. Whatever it is for you, I just wanted to give you the simple answers on firefighter pay around Australia.
How Much Do Firefighters Get Paid in 2025?
The firefighter pay figures below are firefighter salary average aggregated for the fire services across Australia as of 2025.
There will be variations and exceptions but the idea here is to give you an estimate of what you can expect to get paid on average as a firefighter today.
Starting at 51k – 75k as a firefighter recruit
On station wages roughly average around
70-95k for a qualified firefighter
90 -120k for a leading firefighter / senior
100k – 139k for Station Officer Ranks
I have not included any consideration for overtime and allowances or benefits package offered.
Each Australian fire department has different allowances & overtime demand. I have linked to the enterprise agreements below so you can see what allowances are available on top of generous sick leave and holidays.
Some fire departments have extra allowances for the paramedic type training you may acquire as part of the firefighter positions requirements. It is important to consider this as a potential part of the role.
Here is a full breakdown and the resources from which they came. We did our best to get the most up-to-date firefighter salaries in Australia as we could. Some fire services haven’t published wages or have out-of-date agreements. We will update this post each year to keep you informed.
If You Want to Become a Firefighter – Take The Quiz
Fact: Most applicants miss out on getting paid as a firefighter due to the firefighting aptitude test
The following state service pay rate cards and salary agreements will be updated to 2025 as they become available.
QFD Pay Rate as of 1 July 2024
https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/careers-and-volunteering/fire-rescue-and-operations/recruit-firefighter
SAMFS Pay Rate as of 2024
DFES Pay Rate as of 2024 – as per current agreement
https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/site/careers/careers.html
WA Firefighter Salary Agreement December 2023
FRNSW Pay Rate as of 2025
Employees rates of pay will increase annually by 4% from the 26th Feb 2023 meaning the approximate firefighter salary for NSW as of 2025 would be just shy of $2000 per week. Learn what it takes to become a firefighter in NSW
https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=10
NSW Firefighter Salary Agreement 2023
VIC Pay Rate as of 2024
https://firefighter.vic.gov.au/about-career-firefighters/
Other Ranks for firefighter salary Melbourne
FRV Leading Firefighter
Leading firefighter salary with frv is around 105k pa
FRV Commander salary
Cammander salary with frv starts around 130k to 160k depending on the level
Note: Victoria is currently in negotiations and has an outdated Enterprise Agreement, further information to come
ACTFR Pay Rate as of 2024
TFS Pay Rate 2024
ARFF Pay Rate as of 2024
NTFRS Pay Rate as of May 2024
Click on: Recruit Firefighter Information Booklet under documents on upper right
http://www.pfes.nt.gov.au/Fire-and-Rescue/Careers-in-firefighting.aspx
NTFRS Current Pay Agreement 2024
Pay Increases
Pay increases for firefighter positions across Australia tend to follow the same path each time an enterprise bargaining agreement is up for renewal. The federal government has a policy referencing 3.0 per cent per annum over the life of the agreement.
This is usually negotiated between the firefighter union and the fire department.
The union will always be trying to improve working conditions and get increases above the reference policy. Sometimes this can draw the process out for a long time, for example it appears that the firefighter salary in Melbourne has been in negotiation since 2016.
Is It Hard to Become a Firefighter in Australia?
Aptitude Testing
The aptitude test is often the first significant hurdle. It’s a high-pressure, timed assessment covering verbal reasoning, numerical ability, and problem-solving. Many applicants underestimate the difficulty, thinking general intelligence alone will get them through—but that’s rarely the case. Strong candidates can be caught out without repeated, structured practice in a test-like environment.
That’s why Fire Recruitment Australia’s signature 30-day program focuses heavily on aptitude development. Our training has helped candidates boost their test scores by as much as 57%, using proven strategies replicating real exam conditions. You gain the confidence and speed needed to move past this critical stage by identifying your weak spots early and training strategically.
Psychological Assessments
These assessments go well beyond basic personality profiling. They evaluate how you respond to stress, whether your decision-making aligns with fire service values, and how well you operate in uncertain or high-pressure situations. Unfortunately, many applicants are caught off guard by the depth and nuance of these assessments.
To address this, Fire Recruitment Australia provides in-depth psych prep sessions that unpack what fire services seek. Our members gain access to scenario-based practice, behavioural profiling support, and one-on-one feedback to ensure they’re not just answering questions, but presenting themselves as capable, emotionally intelligent candidates ready for the job.
Physical Ability Tests (PAT)
Firefighting is physically demanding. These tests simulate real-life emergencies—stair climbs, hose drags, ladder carries—all while wearing full gear. A casual gym routine won’t cut it. You’ll need targeted strength, stamina, and mental resilience to push through fatigue and meet time limits.
Structured Interviews
This is the final gatekeeper—and it’s more than a casual chat. Firefighter panels seek candidates who can communicate, reflect on past experiences, and demonstrate alignment with the service’s mission. Without proper preparation, even the most passionate applicant can stumble under pressure.
We wrote a blog post specifically about the difficulty of getting into the NSW Fire brigade. To dive deeper into this topic, check out our complete blog post about how hard it is to get into the NSW Fire Brigade.
Conclusion
I hope this serves as a quick and informative reference for you. There is a lot of bogus information out there, unfortunately. This should help you cut through the nonsense. We will be updating the specific services in 2024, if you look at the updated aggregate at the top for a general idea of firefighter pay across Australia.
TIP: If you need the very latest firefighter pay figures for a specific service and for some reason I have overlooked it you can search with the terms in this example to get the latest firefighter pay figures from the eba of your service.
Example: “nt fire service ufu eba” or “legislation victoria frv eba”
Talk Soon,
Brent
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways we can help you Get The Edge over the competition
1. Get my FREE Training – “How to Become Firefighter without wasting time”
I conduct a free training where I show you the proven roadmap on how to become a firefighter without wasting time and money. – Click Here
2. Join our Firefighter Recruitment Training page
It’s our new Facebook community where smart, aspiring firefighters learn how to get the edge and land in the top 5% — Click here
3. Join our Membership Implementation Program
Get access to all courses and software, LIVE Q&A group, access to the industry’s best aptitude and interview coaches. — Get into the Top 5% of Applicants – Click Here
4. Work with Me and the team, privately
If you’d like to work directly with me and the team to give yourself the best chance for your upcoming recruitment campaign, let us know a little about your situation to see if we are a good fit for each other – Click Here
Firefighter salary’s covered in video:
- Firefighter Salary VIC
- Firefighter Salary QLD
- Firefighter Salary SA
- Firefighter Salary WA
- Aviation Firefighter Salary
- MFB Salary VIC
- NSW Firefighter Salary
