2025 Wildland Firefighter Pay Reform
Major components of WFPPA have been passed in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R. 1968)
See Section 1807, which states “Sections 456 and 457 of H.R. 8998… are hereby enacted into law.”
This is referencing § 5332a. Special base rates of pay for wildland firefighters previously included in H.R. 8998.
What’s changing?
End of Retention Incentive payments (lesser of either $20,000 or 50% of salary)
Creating new Wildland Firefighter pay tables separate from the GS table;
GW for GS scale employees, and a separate scale for Wage System employees (not yet published)Create new “Incident Response Premium Pay”, or IRPP at 450% of base pay rate, for ALL Federal employees engaged in wildland firefighting duties, paid out daily on qualifying incidents. (See FAQs below)
“Snapshots” of entry level DOI Federal Wildland Firefighter pay and benefits before and after recent legislative changes.
USFS Wildland Firefighters have same hourly rates and benefits except for 0456 classification
LINKS
USFS Pay Updates
(Updates from 2021 to Present)
Department of the Interior Pay Calculator
(SAVE COPY TO DEVICE BEFORE USING!)
Additional Scenarios
Charts not adjusted for inflation, assumes perfect alignment with pay period, approx. figures, and not counting travel days. Not to be used for financial planning!
USFS Wildland Firefighters have same rates of pay