Firefighter
Also advertised as: Crew Manager, Firefighter, On-Call Firefighter, Retained Firefighter, Trainee Firefighter, Wholetime Firefighter
Responds to fires, road collisions and rescues, and works on community fire prevention.
What the job involves
Firefighters attend emergencies, but a large share of the job is prevention: home safety visits, school talks, business fire safety and constant training. Recruitment is competitive with fitness, aptitude and practical tests.
Typical responsibilities
- Respond to fires, collisions and rescues
- Carry out equipment and vehicle checks
- Deliver community fire safety work
- Train continuously on operational skills
- Support incident command with information
Common employers
- Fire and rescue services
- Airport fire services
- Industrial and MoD fire services
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£28,000 – £32,000 a year
With experience
£35,000 – £42,000 a year
Typical hours
Shift system including nights, or on-call retained duty
Working environment
Fire station and incident scenes
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
competitive
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Physical fitness
- Teamwork
- Calm decision making
- Practical problem solving
- Public communication
Transferable skills you may already have
- Manual and practical work
- Working in a close team
- Staying calm under pressure
Requirements employers ask for
- Physical fitness
- Teamwork
- Calm decision making
- Practical problem solving
- Public communication
- Pass fitness, aptitude and practical assessments
- Full UK driving licence
- Driving licence
- Medical and fitness standards
Useful but not essential
- Manual and practical work
- Working in a close team
- Staying calm under pressure
- LGV entitlement
- Trauma care qualifications
Helpful qualifications
- LGV entitlement
- Trauma care qualifications
Licences and checks
- Driving licence
- Medical and fitness standards
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Operational Firefighter (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Any
Where this career can lead
next
Crew Manager
next
Watch Manager
next
Fire Safety Inspector
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Strong team culture and pension
- No degree required
- On-call route allows a second job
What people find hard
- Very competitive recruitment windows
- Exposure to distressing incidents
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a firefighter?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a firefighter earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £28,000 to £32,000 a year, rising towards £42,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Manual and practical work, Working in a close team, Staying calm under pressure.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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