Wildland Firefighter Pay Increase Update 2025 - Key details of the pay increase

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June 12, 2025

Wildland Firefighter Pay Increase Update (2025): Progress Made, Challenges Ahead

The wildland firefighter pay increase update in 2025 brings long-awaited, permanent pay reform to one of America’s most essential and underappreciated workforces. After years of temporary measures and mounting pressure from advocacy groups, unions, and bipartisan lawmakers, Congress passed and funded a base pay increase of 30–50% for federal wildland firefighters.

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This permanent fix signed into law through the FY 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act—replaces the temporary pay supplements authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and ends the looming “pay cliff” crisis that threatened thousands of livelihoods.

But while this victory is significant, it’s not the finish line. Many of the root issues—mental health strain, housing shortages, job classification inconsistencies, and workforce attrition—still remain.

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The Pay Cliff Crisis: A Breaking Point

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Wildland firefighters have long faced difficult working conditions for relatively low pay. In 2021, the BIL temporarily added either $20,000 or 50% of base salary (whichever was lower) as retention incentives. However, this funding was scheduled to expire in late 2023, prompting fear of a drastic income drop—a situation referred to as the “pay cliff.”

Pay & Leave: 2025 Salary Table – GW

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Federal Wildland Firefighters | Pay Plan: GW

Effective March 23, 2025, the updated Salary Table 2025-GW applies to all federal Wildland Firefighters under Pay Plan GW. This update reflects:

Special base pay rates for Grades GS-1 through GS-15
A 1.7% increase in the General Schedule (GS) base pay
Annual salary rates listed by grade and step

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2025 Federal Pay Table – Revised Salary Chart

Grade	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 5	Step 6	Step 7	Step 8	Step 9	Step 10
1	$31,751	$32,816	$33,871	$34,923	$35,977	$36,593	$37,639	$38,691	$38,733	$39,717
2	$34,947	$35,779	$36,936	$37,915	$38,340	$39,468	$40,595	$41,722	$42,850	$43,977
3	$37,310	$38,553	$39,796	$41,039	$42,282	$43,525	$44,768	$46,012	$47,255	$48,498
4	$40,957	$42,323	$43,689	$45,055	$46,421	$47,787	$49,153	$50,519	$51,885	$53,251
5	$44,790	$46,283	$47,775	$49,267	$50,760	$52,252	$53,745	$55,237	$56,729	$58,222
6	$48,777	$50,402	$52,028	$53,654	$55,279	$56,905	$58,530	$60,156	$61,782	$63,407
7	$52,922	$54,686	$56,451	$58,216	$59,980	$61,745	$63,509	$65,274	$67,038	$68,803
8	$57,191	$59,098	$61,005	$62,912	$64,818	$66,725	$68,632	$70,539	$72,446	$74,353
9	$61,602	$63,655	$65,708	$67,762	$69,815	$71,868	$73,921	$75,974	$78,028	$80,081
10	$66,112	$68,316	$70,519	$72,723	$74,926	$77,129	$79,333	$81,536	$83,740	$85,943
11	$70,743	$73,100	$75,458	$77,815	$80,173	$82,531	$84,888	$87,246	$89,603	$91,961
12	$82,520	$85,271	$88,022	$90,773	$93,524	$96,275	$99,027	$101,778	$104,529	$107,280
13	$95,427	$98,608	$101,789	$104,970	$108,151	$111,332	$114,513	$117,694	$120,875	$124,056
14	$109,573	$113,226	$116,878	$120,531	$124,183	$127,835	$131,488	$135,140	$138,793	$142,445
15	$127,010	$131,244	$135,477	$139,711	$143,944	$148,178	$152,411	$156,645	$160,879	$165,112

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Note: These special base rates apply to employees who meet the definition of a "wildland firefighter" under 5 U.S.C. 5332a and who receive special base rates under that provision for service performed on or after 23 March 2025. By law, these rates must serve as the basis for calculating locality payments.

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Pay & Leave: Salary Table 2025 – GW

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Updated Compensation for Wildland Firefighters (Pay Plan: GW)
The following salary structure applies to federal Wildland Firefighters classified under Pay Plan GW, incorporating the latest changes effective March 23, 2025.
Applies to Grades GS-1 through GS-15
Includes a 1.7% General Schedule (GS) base pay increase
Introduces special base rates tailored to the wildland fire workforce

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2025 GS Hourly Pay Scale (B/O)

Grade	B/O	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 5	Step 6	Step 7	Step 8	Step 9	Step 10
1	B	15.21	15.72	16.23	16.73	17.24	17.53	18.03	18.54	18.56	19.03
1	O	22.82	23.58	24.35	25.10	25.86	26.30	27.05	27.81	27.84	28.55
2	B	16.75	17.14	17.70	18.17	18.37	18.91	19.45	19.99	20.53	21.07
2	O	25.13	25.71	26.55	27.26	27.56	28.37	29.18	29.99	30.80	31.61
3	B	17.88	18.47	19.07	19.66	20.26	20.86	21.45	22.05	22.64	23.24
3	O	26.82	27.71	28.61	29.49	30.39	31.29	32.18	33.08	33.96	34.86
4	B	19.62	20.28	20.93	21.59	22.24	22.90	23.55	24.21	24.86	25.52
4	O	29.43	30.42	31.40	32.39	33.36	34.35	35.33	36.32	37.29	38.28
5	B	21.46	22.18	22.89	23.61	24.32	25.04	25.75	26.47	27.18	27.90
5	O	32.19	33.27	34.34	35.42	36.48	37.56	38.63	39.71	40.77	41.85
6	B	23.37	24.15	24.93	25.71	26.49	27.27	28.05	28.82	29.60	30.38
6	O	35.06	36.23	37.40	38.57	39.74	40.91	42.08	43.23	44.40	45.57
7	B	25.36	26.20	27.05	27.89	28.74	29.59	30.43	31.28	32.12	32.97
7	O	38.04	39.30	40.58	41.84	43.11	44.39	45.65	46.92	47.52	47.52
8	B	27.40	28.32	29.23	30.14	31.06	31.97	32.89	33.80	34.71	35.63
8	O	41.10	42.48	43.85	45.21	46.59	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52
9	B	29.52	30.50	31.48	32.47	33.45	34.44	35.42	36.40	37.39	38.37
9	O	44.28	45.75	47.22	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52
10	B	31.68	32.73	33.79	34.85	35.90	36.96	38.01	39.07	40.12	41.18
10	O	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52
11	B	33.90	35.03	36.16	37.29	38.42	39.55	40.67	41.80	42.93	44.06
11	O	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52
12	B	39.54	40.86	42.18	43.49	44.81	46.13	47.45	48.77	50.09	51.40
12	O	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	47.52	48.77	50.09	51.40
13	B	45.72	47.25	48.77	50.30	51.82	53.35	54.87	56.39	57.92	59.44
13	O	47.52	47.52	48.77	50.30	51.82	53.35	54.87	56.39	57.92	59.44
14	B	52.50	54.25	56.00	57.75	59.50	61.25	63.00	64.75	66.50	68.25
14	O	52.50	54.25	56.00	57.75	59.50	61.25	63.00	64.75	66.50	68.25
15	B	60.86	62.89	64.91	66.94	68.97	71.00	73.03	75.06	77.09	79.11
15	O	60.86	62.89	64.91	66.94	68.97	71.00	73.03	75.06	77.09	79.11

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What’s Changed: Key Highlights of the Permanent Pay Reform

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1. New Federal Pay Table

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The updated pay structure introduces a special base pay scale for federal wildland firefighters:
Increases range from 42% at GS-1 to 1.5% at GS-15, ensuring equitable compensation for front-line workers.
Applies across the USDA Forest Service and Department of the Interior (DOI) fire agencies.

Also read - GS-12 Pay Scale 2025

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2. Incident Response Premium Pay (IRPP)

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Firefighters deployed for more than 36 hours can now earn an additional 25% of base pay, up to $9,000 annually.
This recognizes the demanding nature of fire assignments, particularly during peak seasons and large-scale incidents.

3. Back Pay and Retroactive Implementation

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The reform is retroactive to March 23, 2025.
Back pay will be issued in Pay Period 8, with checks expected by May 12, 2025.
Agencies will automate IRPP tracking later in 2025, but temporary manual time reporting is currently required.

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Why This Matters: Beyond the Paycheck

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This update isn’t just about compensation—it’s about survival, equity, and sustainability in an increasingly dangerous job. Consider these dimensions:

Recruitment and Retention: Agencies have reported staffing levels well below target. The new pay makes the federal workforce more competitive with municipal and private entities.
Mental Health and Morale: High stress, long deployments, and financial insecurity have contributed to severe burnout. Stable income supports emotional resilience.
Recognition and Respect: The increase signals national acknowledgement of the risks and importance of wildland fire crews, many of whom work in brutal, life-threatening environments.

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Ongoing Issues: The Work Isn't Over

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While the base pay changes are monumental, several critical issues remain unresolved:

1. Workforce Classification

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Federal wildland firefighters are still officially classified as “forestry technicians.”
Advocates argue this outdated title fails to reflect the complexity and danger of their duties—limiting benefits, promotion potential, and hazard pay eligibility.

2. Housing Crisis

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Many firefighters live in substandard, overcrowded, or unsafe housing near duty stations.
Reports include broken plumbing, pest infestations, and lack of privacy—conditions that severely impact mental health and quality of life.

3. Support Roles Left Behind

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The current reform focuses on front-line fire personnel, but support staff—like dispatchers, mechanics, and administrative coordinators—often remain underpaid and overworked.
Without addressing the full ecosystem, systemic resilience is still at risk.

What’s Next: Reform, Oversight, and Advocacy

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Legislative Momentum

Groups like Grassroots Wildland Firefighters and NFFE continue to lobby for:

Classification reform
Mental health services
Housing infrastructure investments
A clear firefighter career ladder
Agency Responsibilities

Agencies must now focus on:

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Transparent communication with staff
Smooth rollout of pay increases and back pay
Webinars, FAQs, and training on timekeeping and IRPP use

Final Takeaways: A Step Forward—But Not the Final One

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The 2025 wildland firefighter pay increase update represents a crucial turning point in the federal government’s treatment of its fire workforce. It ensures a more stable income, elevates morale, and strengthens national wildfire preparedness.

But challenges remain—especially around housing, job classification, and comprehensive workforce support. To maintain momentum, continued public awareness and congressional oversight will be vital.

Firefighters are rising to meet a growing national challenge. It’s time their pay, protection, and policy support rise too.

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