Firefighter Salary in Ontario (2026)
How much do firefighters make in Ontario?
Ontario career firefighters are paid on a collective-agreement grid, progressing from probationary to first-class over about four years. First-class in the big departments now runs roughly $119,000–$124,000 — plus overtime, premiums and an OMERS pension.
Ontario Firefighter Salary by City
Real first-class and starting pay for Ontario's career departments, each traced to a collective agreement, arbitration award or official posting. City names in red link to that department's full recruitment guide.
| City | Province | Starting | 1st-Class | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Ontario | $80,391 | $123,679 | arbitration |
| Barrie | Ontario | $73,918 | $123,197 | CBA |
| Hamilton | Ontario | $71,933 | $120,632 | arbitration |
| Kitchener | Ontario | $83,742 | $119,632 | CBA |
| Ottawa | Ontario | $71,583 | $119,306 | job-posting |
| Brampton | Ontario | $71,569 | $119,281 | job-posting |
| Mississauga | Ontario | $65,416 | $109,026 (in-bargaining) | job-posting |
Starting = probationary/first-year rate; 1st-Class = top firefighter rate (before officer ranks, overtime and premiums). Mississauga's grid is from an expired 2023 agreement pending arbitration. Based on a ~42-hour work week.
See firefighter salaries across all of Canada, province by province →
See each department's full pay grid, requirements & process →How Ontario firefighter pay works
Ontario career firefighters are paid on a collective-agreement grid negotiated between each city and its firefighters' association (an IAFF local). New recruits start as probationary firefighters — usually 60–70% of the top rate — and climb a fixed ladder through 4th, 3rd and 2nd class to reach 1st class (the top firefighter rate) after about four years. The steps are automatic and time-based; you're not competing for them once you're hired.
Across Ontario's big departments, first-class now runs roughly $119,000 to $124,000, with Toronto and Barrie at the top and most large services clustered within a few thousand dollars of each other. The main outlier in the table above is Mississauga, whose published grid is from a 2023 agreement that expired and is headed to arbitration — expect those figures to rise retroactively once an award lands. When a settlement or arbitration updates a city's grid, we update this page.
A quick note on the Ontario "sunshine list": it reports each firefighter's total earnings over $100,000, including overtime and premiums — not the base grid rate. That's why so many firefighters appear on it even though a first-class base is around $120,000. Real total compensation also includes a defined-benefit OMERS pension, which doesn't show up in any salary figure but is one of the most valuable parts of the job.
The pay starts after you get hired
These salaries are the reward at the end of a competitive process. Every Ontario department screens candidates with a written aptitude test, a physical (usually the OFAI FPAT or CPAT), and a structured interview — and the specifics differ by city. Most Ontario services use the OFAI FACT written test, but not all: Mississauga, for example, runs its own internal testing and does not accept OFAI certification. Getting the details right for your target department is the difference between a strong application and a wasted one.
That's exactly what our per-city recruitment guides are for — each one lays out that department's requirements, which test it uses, the hiring timeline, and the full pay grid. Start with the recruitment-by-city guides for the department you're targeting, and when you know which test you're facing, drill the exact format with our firefighter aptitude test preparation — 1,200+ practice questions across all five Canadian exam systems, with a free 15-question quiz to see where you stand.
Why Glassdoor and Indeed get Ontario firefighter pay so wrong
Indeed shows $24.06/hour for an Ontario firefighter — from just 17 self-reported salaries — while the actual Toronto contract rate is over $50/hour and Glassdoor's Ontario page says $129,916/year. That's a $78,000 spread on the same job, because the aggregators' samples are tiny and mix in volunteer and non-career roles. The figures on this page come from the agreements themselves.
| Source | Claims | Reality (collective agreement) |
|---|---|---|
| Indeed (Ontario) | $24.06/hr — from just 17 reports | Toronto 1st-class $123,679 (~$56/hr) |
| ZipRecruiter (Ontario) | $47,881/yr average | $119k–$124k 1st-class in Ontario |
| Talent.com (Canada) | $53,007/yr; 'experienced' cap $59,842 | $110k–$127k 1st-class, major cities |
| Glassdoor (Toronto) | $88,819/yr (its own other page says $111,933) | $123,679 1st-class (2026 contract) |
| Glassdoor (Ontario) | $129,916/yr — above most real rates | $119k–$124k actual 1st-class |
Firefighter Salary FAQ
How much do Ontario firefighters make?
Ontario career firefighters are paid on a collective-agreement grid, progressing from a probationary rate of roughly $65,000–$84,000 to a first-class (top) rate of about $119,000–$124,000 in the major departments over about four years — plus overtime, premiums and an OMERS pension. Job Bank lists Ontario firefighter wages from $32.00 to $64.58 per hour.
What does a Toronto firefighter make?
A Toronto first-class firefighter earns $123,679 as of the July 2026 rate in the arbitrated agreement, starting from about $80,391 as a probationary firefighter. See the full per-step Toronto pay grid and hiring process in our Toronto recruitment guide.
Which Ontario city pays firefighters the most?
Among departments with public 2026 figures, Toronto ($123,679) and Barrie ($123,197) lead, with Hamilton ($120,632), Brampton ($119,281), Kitchener ($119,632) and Ottawa ($119,306) close behind. Mississauga's grid ($109,026) is from an expired 2023 agreement and will rise once its arbitration lands.
Do Ontario firefighters get a pension?
Yes — Ontario municipal firefighters are members of OMERS, a defined-benefit pension plan, on top of their base salary, overtime and premiums. That pension is a major part of total compensation and isn't reflected in the base grid figures on this page.
How do I become an Ontario firefighter?
Most Ontario departments screen candidates with the OFAI FACT written aptitude test, along with NFPA 1001 certification, a physical test and an interview — though the exact requirements differ by city (Mississauga, for example, runs its own test and does not use OFAI). Start with our recruitment-by-city guides for your target department, and practise the exact test format with our aptitude prep.
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