If you are considering a career as a firefighter in Malaysia, understanding the BOMBA salary 2025 structure is crucial.
In the Malaysian civil service, every position is classified under a grade (gred). For BOMBA, the grades fall under the KB scheme (Keselamatan / Safety Services).
- Lower KB numbers (e.g. KB1, KB4) are entry-level firefighter roles.
- Higher KB numbers (e.g. KB5, KB9) are officer and leadership roles.
- The JUSA scale applies to the top commissioners, outside the normal KB range.
Each grade has a minimum and maximum salary with annual increments, plus allowances such as housing, hazard pay, and shift work. The figures below typically show basic salary only, before allowances, overtime, or additional pay for special teams (HAZMAT, smokejumpers, etc.).
Important Notes Before Looking at the Figures
- Figure below use SSPA gred (KB1, KB2, etc).
- Only the starting salaries for KB1, KB5, and KB9 are officially released by the goverment.1 2 3 4 Other grades (KB2, KB3, KB6, etc.) are estimated based on the SSPA table.5
- The Minimum Wages Order 2024 (P.U.(A) 376/2024) sets the new national minimum wage at RM1,700/month effective 1 August 2025. This means some of the figures below may already be outdated.
- Certain ranks, such as Pegawai Bomba Tinggi II, may qualify for TBBK2 (Time-Based Berasaskan Kecemerlangan Kali Kedua), giving them a slightly higher salary than shown here.
*(Figures are approximate; official amounts vary depending on increments, allowances, and government revisions.)
Pegawai Bomba (Fire Officer)
| Rank | Grade | Salary | Annual Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pegawai Bomba | KB 1 | Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) OR ex-military (Private) with Aerofireman Driver Class 1 experience Starting salary: RM1,500.00 Maximum salary: RM4,680.00 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) AND Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia Tahap 2 (SKM Level 2) Starting salary: RM1,561.00 Maximum salary: slightly higher than RM4,680.00 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) AND Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia Tahap 3 (SKM Level 3) Starting salary: RM1,622.00 Maximum salary: slightly higher than RM4,680.00 | RM100.00 – RM109.56 |
| Pegawai Bomba Kanan II | KB 2 | Starting salary: RM2,220 Maximum salary: RM5,770 | RM115.00 – RM136.02 |
| Pegawai Bomba Kanan I | KB 2 | Starting salary: RM2,220 Maximum salary: RM5,770 | RM115.00 – RM136.02 |
| Pegawai Bomba Tinggi II | KB 3 | Starting salary: RM2,790.00 Maximum salary: RM6,090 | RM125.00 – RM143.76 |
| Pegawai Bomba Tinggi I | KB 4 | Starting salary: RM2,930.00 Maximum salary: RM6,410 | RM130.00 – RM152.76 |
Penolong Penguasa Bomba (Assistant Fire Superintendent)
*(SPA websites does not clarify what diplomas are considered ‘related fields’).
| Rank | Grade | Salary | Annual Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penolong Penguasa Bomba | KB 5 | Skills Diploma (related field) OR ex-military (Sergeant) with Aerofireman Driver Class 1 experience Starting salary: RM1,731.00 Maximum salary: Unknown (likely RM6,620.00 based on SSPA). Advanced Skills Diploma in a related field Starting salary: RM1,812.00 Maximum salary: Unknown (likely RM6,620.00 based on SSPA). Diploma in a related field Starting salary: RM1,893.00 Maximum salary: Unknown (likely RM6,620.00 based on SSPA). Diploma in Engineering or Diploma in Architecture Starting salary: RM2,055.00 Maximum salary: Unknown (likely RM6,620.00 based on SSPA). | RM145.00 – RM155.19 |
| Penolong Kanan Penguasa Bomba | KB 6 | Starting salary: RM3,080.00 Maximum salary: RM8,560.00 | RM115.00 – RM206.55 |
| Timbalan Penguasa Bomba II | KB 7 | Starting salary: RM3,810.00 Maximum salary: RM9,290.00 | RM180.00 – RM218.70 |
| Timbalan Penguasa Bomba I | KB 8 | Starting salary: RM5,390.00 Maximum salary: RM10,590.00 | RM225.00 – RM249.18 |
Penguasa Bomba (Fire Superintendent)
| Rank | Grade | Salary | Annual Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penguasa Bomba | KB 9 | Bachelor’s Degree OR ex-military (Lieutenant) with pilot experience Starting salary: RM2,250.00 Maximum salary: RM11,110.00 Bachelor’s Degree with Honours Starting salary: RM2,470.00 Maximum salary: slightly higher than RM11,110.00 Bachelor’s Degree in Law Starting salary: RM2,580.00 Maximum salary: slightly higher than RM11,110.00 Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Starting salary: RM2,690.00 Maximum salary: slightly higher than RM11,110.00 Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture Starting salary: RM2,910.00 Maximum salary: slightly higher than RM11,110.00 | RM225.00 – RM262.68 |
| Penguasa Kanan Bomba II | KB 10 | Starting salary: RM3,840.00 Maximum salary: RM12,150.00 | RM250.00 – RM286.80 |
| Penguasa Kanan Bomba I | KB 12 | Starting salary: RM5,530.00 Maximum salary: RM13,540.00 | RM270.00 – RM320.25 |
| Penolong Pesuruhjaya Bomba | KB 13 | Starting salary: RM6,210.00 Maximum salary: RM14,370.00 | RM290.00 – RM339.96 |
| Penolong Kanan Pesuruhjaya Bomba | KB 14 | Starting salary: RM6,560.00 Maximum salary: RM15,360.00 | RM320.00 – RM362.13 |
| Timbalan Pesuruhjaya Bomba | JUSA C | N/A | N/A |
| Pesuruhjaya Bomba | JUSA B | N/A | N/A |
| Ketua Pesuruhjaya Bomba | JUSA A | N/A | N/A |
Information about BOMBA salaries is spread across multiple sources, from SPA recruitment pages to older government circulars and internal BOMBA references. This makes it difficult for the public to get a clear, consolidated view.
By compiling these details into one place, this guide aims to provide a more accessible reference for anyone interested in a career with BOMBA or simply curious about how the salary and rank system works.
Hopefully, this helps shed some light on a structure that is often not clearly explained elsewhere.
Curious about other Malaysian regulations? Check our article on Red Number Plates in Malaysia: Meaning, Types, and Official Use