Firefighter salary QLD: How the Queensland Fire Department Certified Agreement sets your pay floor

Firefighter salary QLD: Understanding the pay floor

If you are looking up "firefighter salary qld", the most important figure to know is the minimum rate set by the Queensland Fire Department Certified Agreement 2025 (CA25). This agreement covers all operational firefighters, station officers, and other QFD employees. It was certified by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission on 14 April 2026 and runs until 31 July 2028 .

The legal minimum vs the agreement rate

For national-system employees, the Fair Work Commission sets the national minimum wage ($26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026). But QFD is a state government employer, so its employees are covered by the Queensland industrial relations system. The relevant award is the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service Employees Award – State 2016 . The CA25 overrides that award and sets higher minimum rates.

So the pay floor for a QFD firefighter is not the national minimum; it is the base rate in the certified agreement. From 1 August 2026, a Firefighter PP1 (the first qualified level) has a base rate of $2,677.65 per fortnight. That works out to about $35.23 per hour for a 38‑hour week. This is before any shift allowances, weekend penalties, or the 38‑hour week allowance that appears in the total fortnightly figure.

How to check your rate

If you are a QFD employee, your payslip should show your classification and pay point (e.g., Firefighter PP1, Senior Firefighter PP3). The CA25 wage tables list base rates and total fortnightly amounts including allowances for each classification. You can compare your base hourly rate by dividing your fortnightly base pay by 76 (38 hours × 2 weeks).

For example, a Senior Firefighter PP1 from 1 August 2026 has a base rate of $3,054.44 per fortnight, or about $40.19 per hour. The total fortnightly pay including allowances is $4,111.42.

Remember that superannuation (the super guarantee) is paid on top of these amounts. From 1 July 2026, the rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings. So your total remuneration package is higher than the cash wages shown.

Award rates and the national minimum

If you are not covered by the CA25 – for example, if you work for a private‑sector fire‑fighting contractor in Queensland – you may be covered by a modern award. The lowest adult rate in any modern award cannot fall below the national minimum wage. But most professional firefighters in Queensland are employed by QFD and covered by the certified agreement.

For award‑free employees, the national minimum applies. But that is rare for firefighting roles.

Using the Rate tables and How the figures work

Our Rate tables page shows the national minimum wage and award rates for reference. The How the figures work page explains how we calculate hourly and weekly equivalents from fortnightly pay periods.

Summary

The key takeaway for anyone searching "firefighter salary qld" is that the certified agreement sets a much higher floor than the national minimum. A qualified firefighter earns at least $35.23 per hour base, plus allowances and super. Always check your classification and pay point against the current CA25 wage tables to ensure you are receiving the correct minimum.