Firefighter Salary in Canada (2026)

Firefighter Salary by City (real collective-agreement rates)

Every figure traces to a collective agreement, arbitration award or official city posting — linked in the Source column. City names in red link to that department's full recruitment guide and per-step pay grid.

Starting = probationary/first-year rate; 1st-Class = top firefighter rate (before officer ranks, overtime and premiums). "Expired agreement" = the most recent publicly available grid while a successor is bargained. Based on a ~42-hour work week.

Applying in Ontario? See the detailed Ontario firefighter salary breakdown by city →

How a firefighter pay grid works

Unlike most jobs, a career firefighter's salary isn't negotiated individually — it's set by a collective agreement between the city and the firefighters' union (usually an IAFF local). That agreement publishes an exact dollar figure for every step, which is why the numbers on this page are precise rather than "averages."

New recruits start as probationary firefighters, typically earning 60–70% of the top rate. You then move up a fixed ladder — 4th class, 3rd class, 2nd class — reaching 1st class (the top firefighter rate, before officer ranks) after roughly four to five years. The steps are automatic and time-based: you don't have to compete for them, you just have to stay in good standing. That's the "1st-Class" column in the table above, and it's the number worth planning your career around.

Two things make cross-city comparison tricky, and we've normalized for both: firefighters work about a 42-hour average week (so an hourly rate converts to annual at roughly ×2,184), and agreements roll on different cycles — some cities show 2026 rates while others are on the last published grid pending a new deal (marked "expired agreement"). Those expired grids are the most recent public figures; a new agreement will only raise them.

Beyond the base: overtime, premiums and pension

The grid figures above are base salary only — and base salary is just part of what a firefighter actually earns. On top of it, most firefighters add:

• Overtime — shift coverage and callbacks, often at time-and-a-half or double time.
• Acting and officer pay — extra when you fill a captain or acting-officer role.
• Premiums — for specialties like hazmat, technical rescue, training, or medic certification, plus education allowances.
• A defined-benefit pension — OMERS in Ontario, and municipal or provincial plans elsewhere. This is one of the most valuable parts of the job and doesn't show up in any salary figure.

This is why public "sunshine list" total-earnings figures for firefighters usually sit well above the base first-class rate — they include overtime and premiums. When you compare a firefighter's pay to another career, compare the total package: a six-figure base, a strong pension, and job security set by contract.

The catch, of course, is getting hired — these are some of the most competitive positions in the country, and the pay is exactly why. Every department screens candidates with a written aptitude test and a physical, and the departments that pay the most (Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton) draw thousands of applicants per posting. The single biggest thing you control is how well you prepare for the test.

Firefighter Salary by Province

Typical first-class (top) firefighter pay in each province's major departments, from the same primary sources. Provinces without a publicly posted current grid are omitted rather than estimated.

Firefighter Salary FAQ