Ocala and Marion County Rewrote Firefighter Pay This Year to Win Recruits. Here Is What Each Offers

Ocala Fire Rescue and Marion County Fire Rescue both rewrote what they pay firefighters this year, and both said plainly why. In June, Marion County approved a contract meant to keep the county "competitive in attracting and retaining highly qualified emergency personnel." In August, the City of Ocala ratified its own, one the city says will make Ocala Fire Rescue "a top choice for firefighters in North Central Florida."

The city's new starting pay began Oct. 1. Both governments describe the same goal: attract new firefighters and keep the ones they have.

A city that nearly doubles every day

Ocala Fire Rescue dates to 1885. Today, the city says, it protects a population of more than 71,000 that "nearly doubles daily" with traffic from the state roads and interstate exits running through the county seat. Its crews answered more than 25,000 calls in 2025 across 47 square miles of the city and nearby unincorporated land, and the department expects to be running eight stations by fall 2029.

The city ratified the contract on Aug. 18 and says it sets the stage for "enhancing recruitment and retention of high-quality personnel." Fire Chief Clint Welborn framed it as an investment in both the people who receive help and the people who provide it. "We are eager to begin recruitment of the next generation of public servants that will guard our community," Welborn said in the city's announcement. "Investing in our present and emerging workforce reinforces our commitment to public safety, ensuring both those receiving services and those providing them are well-supported."

What a new Ocala firefighter earns now

A firefighter who is also a paramedic now starts at Ocala Fire Rescue at $77,890.67 a year; one certified as an EMT starts at $66,270.27. Both positions get a 3% cost-of-living raise every year of the contract, 88 hours of paid holidays and the option to sell back vacation time.

The county's starting pay is not far behind. Under the contract Marion County commissioners approved on June 2, a dual-certified firefighter/paramedic at Marion County Fire Rescue starts at $75,022 and a firefighter/EMT at $65,067, according to the county's press release. The city pays more on day one, about $2,900 more for a paramedic. The county's contract adds things the city's announcement does not mention: a 5% longevity raise every five years, time and a half for working a holiday and an hourly stipend for transport duty. The city's announcement describes Ocala Fire Rescue as a non-transport advanced life support department.

County leaders made the same case the city did. "This contract changes the trajectory of Marion County Fire Rescue," county Fire Chief James Banta said in June. We covered that deal at the time: Marion County approves $60 million firefighters' contract.

The bigger change: 72 hours off

Both departments are also changing how much time firefighters spend at home. Ocala Fire Rescue will move to a "D-shift" by Sept. 30, 2029, with crews working 24 hours and then getting 72 hours off. The city calls it a commitment to firefighters' health and to "preventing the physical exhaustion and stress imposed by demanding professions like ours."

Marion County is making the same switch by October 2029. The county says the extra recovery time between shifts supports physical health, mental wellness and family life, and that departments across the country have adopted the model to reduce fatigue and keep people from leaving. The county also says the change improves operational readiness.

Thinking about applying?

The City of Ocala posts fire rescue openings on its employment page. For other local employers, see our guide to jobs in Ocala. See also: the Ocala Fire Museum.

Starting pay at a glance

Sources: City of Ocala announcement, Aug. 18, 2026; Marion County press release, June 3, 2026. Both read Nov. 9, 2026.