Firefighter pay in Ontario varies a lot depending on the city, experience, and whether you’re full‑time or paid‑on‑call, but by 2025–2026 most full‑time city firefighters fall somewhere between mid‑$70,000 and over $110,000 at the top rank, with lower hourly rates for part‑time and rural roles.

Quick Scoop

  • Entry‑level or early‑career full‑time firefighters in Ontario cities often start around the low‑to‑mid $70,000s including negotiated wage increases in recent contracts.
  • A First‑Class Firefighter (top step) in large Ontario cities commonly earns in the low‑to‑mid $110,000s by 2026, before overtime and specialty premiums.
  • Paid‑on‑call (POC) or part‑time firefighters in smaller municipalities are usually paid an hourly wage in the $20–$32 per hour range, depending on rank and years of service.
  • Across Ontario, wage surveys show firefighters typically earning between about $30/hour and $64/hour , with higher rates in large urban departments and senior ranks.

What different sources say

Online salary aggregators

  • One major job‑site estimate for “firefighter” in Ontario puts average pay around $48,000–$55,000 per year , based on mixed data that likely includes smaller towns, part‑time, and early‑career roles.
  • Another similar listing for “fire rescue” roles in Ontario shows an average of about $56,000 per year , with top earners over $90,000 , again blending multiple types of jobs.

These sites are useful for a quick ballpark , but they tend to skew lower because they mix in non‑union, part‑time, and rural positions.

Provincial wage data (Job Bank)

Canada’s Job Bank gives wage ranges specifically for firefighters in Ontario, which better reflects unionized municipal departments. For Ontario, it lists approximate hourly wages such as:

  • Lower end: around $28–33/hour in many regions (roughly mid‑$50,000s to low‑$60,000s annually for standard full‑time hours).
  • Median: around $47–50/hour in larger regions including Toronto and Ottawa (about low‑$90,000s annually).
  • Upper end: up to about $64–75/hour in some areas (easily over $110,000 if worked full‑time year‑round).

This lines up with what you’d expect for senior, top‑step firefighters with many years of service in big departments.

Recent 2026 firefighter pay snapshot

A 2026 Ontario firefighter pay overview notes that in larger cities a First‑Class Firefighter now typically earns in the low‑to‑mid $110,000s. It also highlights:

  • Smaller and mid‑sized services are usually somewhat lower than big‑city departments.
  • Paid‑on‑call firefighters are commonly in the $20–$32/hour range, with examples like:
    • Seguin Township: about $20.08–$28.86/hour.
* Clearview Township: roughly **$26.83–$31.29/hour** for suppression, with separate (lower) training rates.

Mini table: typical Ontario firefighter pay (2025–2026)

[7][3] [7][3] [3][7] [7] [3] [3] [3] [3] [1][5][8] [5][8][1]
Role / context Typical pay (Ontario) Notes
Entry / early full‑time firefighter (city) ~$70,000–$80,000/year (approx.)Lower end of union pay grids, varies by city and contract.
Mid‑career full‑time firefighter ~$90,000–$100,000/year (approx.)Close to median hourly wages in major regions.
First‑Class Firefighter (large city) Low‑to‑mid $110,000s/year (before overtime)Top step in many large municipal departments by 2026.
Paid‑on‑call firefighter (rural/small town) ~$20–$32/hourPay per call, training, and standby; total annual income depends on call volume.
General survey averages (mixed jobs) ~$48,000–$56,000/yearIncludes smaller services, rescue roles, and possibly part‑time positions.

Why the numbers online don’t all match

You’ll see very different answers to “how much do firefighters make in Ontario” because sources are mixing several things together:

  • Different job types :
    • Full‑time municipal firefighters, fire‑rescue, firefighter‑paramedics, and paid‑on‑call all show up in generic salary searches.
  • Different locations :
    • Toronto, Ottawa, and other large cities tend to pay more than small or rural municipalities.
  • Different career stages :
    • A brand‑new recruit may be on a lower step of the pay grid, while a First‑Class Firefighter with years of seniority is on the top step.

An example: an online listing might say the “average firefighter salary in Ontario is about $48,000 per year,” but this can be pulled down by part‑time, non‑union, or small‑town roles, and may not reflect big‑city union contracts where experienced firefighters are well into six figures.

Forum and “trending topic” angle

On forums and social media, firefighter pay often comes up in bigger conversations about cost of living, overtime, and work‑life balance. A common pattern:

  • Firefighters in high‑cost cities talk about relying on overtime or extra shifts to make the job sustainable, even when base salaries are strong.
  • Others joke about low starting pay or the heavy hours, especially in departments with aggressive scheduling (for example, “72/24” style rotations mentioned in discussions).
  • People comparing across regions are often surprised that Ontario’s unionized city firefighters can earn six figures, while some U.S. departments or smaller Canadian services start much lower.

So when you see “how much do firefighters make in Ontario” trending, it’s often tied to debates about whether those wages match the risk, training, and housing prices in 2025–2026.

If you’re thinking of becoming a firefighter in Ontario

If you’re looking at this as a career, here’s a simple way to read the numbers:

  1. Ask what type of department it is
    • Large city, mid‑sized town, or small rural service.
    • Full‑time or composite (mix of career and paid‑on‑call).
  1. Look for the current collective agreement
    • Most city departments publish wage grids showing recruit, second‑class, and First‑Class Firefighter rates by year.
  1. Factor in the extras
    • Overtime, night premiums, specialized team pay (hazmat, technical rescue), and benefits can significantly increase total compensation above the base rate.
  1. Consider the path
    • You may start at a lower step and climb over a few years to the First‑Class rate, where the six‑figure numbers usually appear.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.