London Fire Brigade (LFB) Salary
LFB vs National NJC Pay (Wholetime annual basic)
| Role | National NJC | LFB | LFB uplift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefighter — Development | £30,384 | £34,914 | +£4,530 |
| Firefighter — Competent | £38,881 | £44,800 | +£5,919 |
| Crew Manager — Competent | £43,104 | £48,891 | +£5,787 |
| Watch Manager — Competent A/B | £45,260 – £48,202 | £51,138 | +£2,936 to +£5,878 |
| Station Manager — Competent A/B | £51,642 – £55,301 | £53,831 – £55,301 | +£2,189 to £0 |
| Group Manager | £57,743 – £64,013 | £57,743 – £64,013 | parity |
| Area Manager | £67,792 – £74,360 | £67,792 – £74,360 | parity |
The London Fire Brigade pays meaningfully above national NJC rates at the federated ranks because London Weighting was consolidated into LFB basic pay in October 2019 — it's not a separate allowance; the LFB pay table simply has higher figures. A Competent Firefighter earns £44,800 at LFB vs £38,881 nationally (+£5,919), and because it's basic pay, the whole uplift is pensionable and flows into overtime rates.
The uplift tapers with seniority: Crew and Watch level keep a substantial gap, Station Manager narrows, and Group/Area Manager are at national parity. LFB also pays the network's highest CPD rate — £1,181/year (vs the £425 NJC default) once Competent.
Terminology: LFB uses role titles of its own — you'll see Leading Firefighter (≈ Crew Manager), Sub Officer, Watch Commander (≈ Watch Manager) and Station Commander (≈ Station Manager) in LFB job adverts and rank structures. Pay maps to the NJC role equivalents shown above.
No Retained Duty System operates within Greater London — LFB is wholetime (plus control staff on separate scales). The 2026 pay award (3.8% offer on all basic + CPD from 1 July 2026, pending FBU ballot) would apply to LFB rates too — Competent would rise to around £46,502. Select "London Fire Brigade" as your service in the calculator for exact take-home including LFB CPD.