SOC 3313 Protective service occupations

Fire service officers (watch manager and below) Salary

Median salary £40,775 per year (2025). Based on ONS ASHE data.

Gross pay, before deductions. See take-home pay on £41,000 after tax and National Insurance →

For fire service officers (watch manager and below), £44,033 is the typical (median) pay. That is above the UK full-time median of £39,039 — +13% versus the national average. Experienced fire service officers (watch manager and below) (top 25%) earn over £49,455.

About this role

Fire service officers (watch manager and below) respond to fires, road traffic collisions, flooding and other emergencies. They operate firefighting equipment, conduct rescues, deliver fire prevention activities and maintain operational readiness within their fire station.

Key responsibilities

Responding to emergency incidents including fires and rescues
Operating firefighting and rescue equipment
Conducting fire safety inspections and community prevention work
Maintaining physical fitness and operational competence
Leading crews at incidents (watch managers)

Qualifications and entry routes

Entry through fire service recruitment. Requires passing fitness tests, selection assessments and completing initial training. Watch managers are promoted internally through development frameworks. No specific academic qualifications are mandated, though many services require GCSEs.

Career outlook

Competitive entry with strong applications. Workforce modernisation includes expanded roles in flood response, medical first response and environmental incidents.

Key skills

Emergency response Physical fitness Team working under pressure Technical equipment operation Community engagement

Common industries

County and metropolitan fire services
Airport fire services
MOD fire services
Private sector fire services
Fire investigation

Data coverage

SOC code 3313

Data source ONS ASHE

Years available 2015–2025

Estimated jobs 55,000

Median Salary

£40,775

Mean Salary

£39,188

Jobs (000s)

55k

Data Years

11 years

Salary Range (2025)

P25: £30,655Median: £40,775P75: £49,455

P10: £10kP25: £31kMedian: £41kP75: £49kP90: --

Estimated Career Progression

Based on salary percentile distribution for this occupation

Entry Level

£10,124

0-2 years

Mid Level

£30,655

3-7 years

Senior

£49,455

8-15 years

Potential career growth: +388% from entry to leadership

Salary Trend (2015-2025)

Adjust for inflation

Nominal growth: +30.1%Real growth: -5.7%

Gender Pay Comparison (2025)

Gender pay gap: 1.8%

Full-time vs All Employees (2025)

All Employees

£40,775

Full-time Only

£44,033

Full-time premium: +£3,258

Fire service officers (watch manager and below) salary: common questions

How much do fire service officers (watch manager and below) earn in the UK?

Fire service officers (watch manager and below) earn a median of £44,033 a year (ONS ASHE 2025). The middle half earn between £30,655 and £49,455.

Is £44,033 a good salary in the UK?

What is the starting salary for fire service officers (watch manager and below)?

Entry-level fire service officers (watch manager and below) typically start near the lower end of the range. The bottom 25% earn up to £30,655, and the lowest-paid 10% earn under £10,124.

Have fire service officers (watch manager and below) salaries kept up with inflation?

Since 2015, median fire service officers (watch manager and below) pay has risen from £32,140 to £44,033 — +37% in cash terms, or -1.0% after CPIH inflation. That is roughly in line with inflation over the period.

Is there a gender pay gap for fire service officers (watch manager and below)?

Male fire service officers (watch manager and below) earn a median £40,924 and female fire service officers (watch manager and below) £40,187 — a gap of +2.0% in 2025.

Figures: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, gross annual pay. UK full-time median £39,039 (2025).