Station Manager Salary

£50,135 – £55,301
Effective 1 July 2025 — NJC Grey Book, England & Wales (Wholetime)
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Station Manager Pay (Wholetime, NJC Grey Book)

Pay PointAnnualMonthly
Station Manager (Development)£50,135£4,177.92
Station Manager (Competent A)£51,642£4,303.50
Station Manager (Competent B)£55,301£4,608.42
+ FDS (20% of Competent B)£11,060£921.67

The Station Manager is responsible for one or more fire stations and the operational performance of multiple watches. Station Managers take charge of larger and more complex incidents as Incident Commander, and are the most junior rank that typically sits on the formal management on-call rota.

Three pay points: Development (£50,135), Competent A (£51,642) and Competent B (£55,301) after further service.

FDS (Flexible Duty System) typically applies at Station Manager grade and above. FDS adds 20% of basic salary as a pensionable allowance — at Competent B this is around £11,060/year, taking total basic pay to roughly £66,361. FDS compensates Station Managers for being available on the on-call rota outside of core hours.

Station Manager is the last rank eligible for PAO — Group Manager and above are on the Conditional Service Agreement and do not receive Pre-Arranged Overtime.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Station Manager salary in the UK?
The NJC Grey Book Station Manager salary ranges from £50,135 (Development) to £55,301 (Competent B), effective 1 July 2025. Most Station Managers also receive FDS at 20% of basic, adding around £10–11k.
How much is FDS for a Station Manager?
FDS is 20% of basic pay. For a Competent B Station Manager (£55,301), that's around £11,060/year, taking total basic to roughly £66,361. FDS is pensionable.
Is overtime available to Station Managers?
Yes — Pre-Arranged Overtime (PAO) at 1.5× basic hourly is available at Station Manager grade. This is the last rank where PAO is paid; Group Manager and above are on Conditional Service.
What does a Station Manager do?
Manages one or more fire stations, oversees multiple watches, takes charge of larger incidents as Incident Commander, and typically sits on the management on-call rota. Reports to a Group Manager.
How long does it take to become a Station Manager?
Typically 10–15+ years of operational service through Firefighter → Crew Manager → Watch Manager → Station Manager. Promotion is competitive and requires demonstrating leadership and operational competence at the previous grade.

Firefighter pay by rank

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