Spain is suffering from a strong wave of fires in several areas of the territory. In all of them, a common denominator is the presence of the members of the Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigades (BRIF): just over 500 workers distributed in 10 bases throughout the country who, when the flames appear, come by helicopter to fight the fire.
For years these employees, dependent on the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, but hired by the Tragsa company, have lamented their low salaries and the few guarantees of a position in which, literally, they are in the front line against the fire.
To get an idea, until 2019 their salaries were around 900 euros, which were improved to 1,000 euros net per month plus extras for dangerousness. In any case, according to , their salaries do not usually exceed 18,000 euros per year with extra payments.
Another determining factor is that their status as permanent discontinuous means that one month a year they terminate their contract and go on strike.
Differences with the salary of municipal and provincial firefighters
The BRIF forest firefighters are far from the municipal firefighters in performances and conditions; although there are also many differences here.
Applicants for this job know that there are different types of firefighters depending on the institution to which they are assigned. From those of a City Council, through Provincial Councils.
How much does a firefighter earn on average in Spain?
Although each city council or institution sets a specific salary, in portals such as salary comparison, the average salary of a firefighter in Spain is around 34,600 euros gross per year, around 1,870 euros net per month.
The salary of a Firefighter can start at a minimum salary of 28,000 euros gross per year, while the maximum salary can exceed 50,000 euros gross per year.
But as we say, these salaries can vary a lot from 25,000 for a common firefighter to more than 50,000, which raises the monthly range to more than 2,340 euros per month in 14 payments.
Salary differences in firefighters
Among the factors that influence a firefighter’s salary are seniority, place of residence, category and shift or overtime as well as, of course, extras for special danger.
To get an idea of these salary differences, the salary of a firefighter in Madrid is around 35,000 euros per year, compared to 46,000 in Navarra or 40,000 in Granada.
Beyond salary, many aspiring firefighters also highlight other work conditions, such as working very demanding 24-hour shifts but then having three or four days off.