Electrician Wage and Hourly Rate 2026-27
A qualified electrician is paid at least $31.13 an hour ($61,507 a year) under the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020, and $32.19 an hour when they hold and may be required to use an unrestricted electrical licence. Both are award minimums for Electrical worker grade 5, the trade grade, and both already include the allowances the award pays for all purposes.
Two rates for the same electrician
The $40.29 a week licence allowance is paid only to an electrical mechanic who holds, and in the course of their duties may be required to use, an unrestricted licence (clause 18.3(b)). Holding the licence is not enough on its own. Every rate on this page is shown both ways, so check which one your employer pays you and why.
The short answer
A qualified electrician at Electrical worker grade 5 is paid at least $31.13 an hour, $1,182.82 a week, or $32.19 an hour with the licence allowance. Over a year that is $61,507 or $63,602 before tax, and about $51,305 or $52,729 after it. A casual is paid $38.91, or $40.24 with the licence allowance, including the 25% loading. Yearly figures are the weekly rate times 52.
Qualified electrician
$31.13
Electrical worker grade 5, an hour
With the licence allowance
$32.19
Electrical worker grade 5, licensed, an hour
Casual, qualified electrician
$38.91
Includes the 25% loading
Take-home a year
$51,305
$1,973 a fortnight, as a qualified electrician
These are legal minimums set by a modern award, not a market average. This site does not publish average or advertised salaries, because the number that matters on a payslip is the floor an employer cannot go below. Many employers pay more, and an enterprise agreement can set a higher rate again.
Electrician pay rates by grade.
A trade-qualified electrician starts at grade 5 and moves up to grade 10 with post-trade qualifications and experience. Rates run from $31.13 to $38.91 an hour, or $32.19 to $39.97 with the licence allowance. Each rate is the clause 16.2 minimum plus the industry and tool allowances, which clause 16.3(a) makes part of the rate for all purposes.
Grades 5 to 10, with the industry and tool allowances
1 July 2026 · PR799306
Clause 16.2 minimum plus the $41.41 industry and $22.31 tool allowances. Schedule B of the award prints every hourly and casual rate in this table, and the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide published on 7 August 2026 prints every weekly rate.
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical worker grade 5Electrical tradesperson level 1 | $1,182.82 | $31.13 | $38.91 | $51,305 |
| Electrical worker grade 6Electrical tradesperson level 2 | $1,218.02 | $32.05 | $40.06 | $52,549 |
| Electrical worker grade 7Electrician special class | $1,284.82 | $33.81 | $42.26 | $54,911 |
| Electrical worker grade 8Advanced electrical tradesperson level 1 | $1,346.82 | $35.44 | $44.30 | $57,104 |
| Electrical worker grade 9Advanced electrical tradesperson level 2 | $1,373.22 | $36.14 | $45.18 | $58,037 |
| Electrical worker grade 10Advanced electrical tradesperson level 3 | $1,478.72 | $38.91 | $48.64 | $61,768 |
Grades 5 to 10, with the licence allowance as well
1 July 2026 · PR799306
The same rates plus the $40.29 electrician’s licence allowance. The award does not print these totals: each is the clause 16.3(a) sum, and every weekly, hourly and casual figure matches the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide published on 7 August 2026 to the cent.
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly | Casual hourly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical worker grade 5, licensedElectrical tradesperson level 1 | $1,223.11 | $32.19 | $40.24* | $52,729 |
| Electrical worker grade 6, licensedElectrical tradesperson level 2 | $1,258.31 | $33.11 | $41.39* | $53,974 |
| Electrical worker grade 7, licensedElectrician special class | $1,325.11 | $34.87 | $43.59* | $56,336 |
| Electrical worker grade 8, licensedAdvanced electrical tradesperson level 1 | $1,387.11 | $36.50 | $45.63* | $58,528 |
| Electrical worker grade 9, licensedAdvanced electrical tradesperson level 2 | $1,413.51 | $37.20 | $46.50* | $59,462 |
| Electrical worker grade 10, licensedAdvanced electrical tradesperson level 3 | $1,519.01 | $39.97 | $49.96* | $63,192 |
Hourly figures are the weekly rate over 38 ordinary hours. Take-home is an estimate for a single Australian resident for tax purposes with no study loan debt and no Medicare levy surcharge, worked out with the same Wage Calculator used across this site. Superannuation is paid by your employer on top of these rates and is never deducted from them. A casual figure marked * is not published in the award and is the minimum hourly rate plus the 25% loading.
How an electrician’s hourly rate is built.
Clause 16.2 of the award prints $29.45 an hour for grade 5, and that figure alone underpays. Clause 16.3(a) makes the all-purpose rate “the sum of the minimum rate in the table in clause 16.2, the industry allowance in clause 18.3(a), and, where applicable, the tool allowance in clause 18.3(g), the electrician’s licence allowance in clause 18.3(b)” and the other clause 18.3 allowances.
A motor mechanic at R6 under the Vehicle Repair Award has a clause minimum of $1,119.10 a week and no allowance paid for all purposes, so $29.45 an hour is the rate there, as Mechanic Hourly Rate shows.
| Clause 16.2 minimum, grade 5 | $1,119.10 |
|---|---|
| Industry allowance, clause 18.3(a) | $41.41 |
| Tool allowance, clause 18.3(g) | $22.31 |
| All-purpose rate, a week$31.13 an hour over 38 hours | $1,182.82 |
| Licence allowance, clause 18.3(b) | $40.29 |
| With the licence allowance, a week$32.19 an hour over 38 hours | $1,223.11 |
Electrician overtime, Sunday and public holiday rates.
Ordinary hours are worked Monday to Friday, within a spread of 6.00 am to 6.00 pm (clauses 13.2 and 13.3), so a day worker’s Saturday is overtime, paid for at least 4 hours (clause 20.3). Every penalty is worked out from the all-purpose rate, allowances included. The rates without the licence allowance are printed in Schedule B and the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide published on 7 August 2026; the rates with it are printed in the guide only.
| Grade 5, per hour | Full-time or part-time | With licence | Casual | Casual with licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours, Monday to Friday100%, casual 125% | $31.13 | $32.19 | $38.91 | $40.24 |
| Overtime, first 2 hours, Monday to Saturday150%, casual 187.5% | $46.70 | $48.29 | $58.37 | $60.36 |
| Overtime after that, Monday to Saturday200%, casual 250% | $62.26 | $64.38 | $77.83 | $80.48 |
| Sunday200%, casual 250% | $62.26 | $64.38 | $77.83 | $80.48 |
| Public holiday250%, casual 312.5% | $77.83 | $80.48 | $97.28 | $100.59 |
Which grade an electrician is on.
Schedule A of the award sets the grade by qualification, training and experience, not by job title. Schedule A.2.5 puts at grade 5, among other trade routes, an employee who “holds a trade certificate or tradesperson’s rights certificate, in an electrical trade” or who “holds an AQF Certificate Level 3 in Electrotechnology in one of the following: systems electrician; or assembly and servicing”. Grade 5 includes the work of Electrical tradesperson level 1, Electronic/communications serviceperson level 1, Instrument tradesperson level 1 and Refrigeration/air-conditioning tradesperson level 1.
- Grade 6, Electrical tradesperson level 2 ($32.05 an hour)
- An Electrical worker grade 6 is an Electrical worker grade 5 who in addition has: successfully completed 3 appropriate training modules or 33% of the qualification specified for grade 7 or its equivalent; or equivalent structured in-house training relevant to the employer’s business or enterprise as agreed between the parties to the award; and acquired an equivalent standard of skills as defined in A.2.6(a)(i) through other means including a minimum of one year’s experience as an Electrical worker grade 5; or is employed to use the skills acquired through the training or experience specified (Schedule A.2.6).
- Grade 7, Electrician special class ($33.81 an hour)
- An Electrical worker grade 7 is an Electrical worker grade 5 who: has successfully completed a Post Trade Certificate or 9 appropriate modules towards an Advanced Certificate or AQF Diploma in Electrotechnology; or their equivalent; or has successfully completed an AQF Certificate Level IV in Electrotechnology; or has acquired the same standard of skills through other means including a minimum of 2 years’ experience in the industry; and is employed to use the skills acquired through the training and/or experience specified (Schedule A.2.7).
- Grade 8, Advanced electrical tradesperson level 1 ($35.44 an hour)
- An Electrical worker grade 8 is an Electrical worker grade 5 who has successfully completed: a Post Trade Certificate or 9 appropriate modules towards an Advanced Certificate or an AQF Diploma in Electrotechnology or their equivalent; or an AQF Certificate Level IV in Electrotechnology; and in addition, has had not less than 2 years’ experience as an Electrical worker grade 7 and is employed to use the skills acquired through the training and/or experience specified (Schedule A.2.8).
- Grade 9, Advanced electrical tradesperson level 2 ($36.14 an hour)
- An Electrical worker grade 9 is an Electrical worker grade 5 who has successfully completed: an appropriate Advanced Certificate; or an AQF Diploma in Electrotechnology; or their formal equivalent; and is employed to use the skills acquired through the training and/or experience specified (Schedule A.2.9).
- Grade 10, Advanced electrical tradesperson level 3 ($38.91 an hour)
- An Electrical worker grade 10 is an Electrical worker grade 5 who has successfully completed: an appropriate Associate Diploma; or an AQF Advanced Diploma; or their formal equivalent; and is employed to use the skills acquired through the training and/or experience specified (Schedule A.2.10).
Apprentice electricians.
An apprentice is paid a percentage of the grade 5 minimum plus the full tool allowance and a share of the licence and industry allowances, by year and by whether they finished Year 12. Each year is set out on Apprentice Electrician Wages.
Which award covers an electrician.
The Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025) covers employers in the industry of electrical services provided by electrical, electronics and communications contractors, and their employees (clause 4.1). That takes in installing electric light and power, wiring, repairing and maintaining electrical installations and appliances, and maintaining power distribution lines (clause 4.3), including for labour hire and group training employers placing people in that industry.
An electrician employed by a manufacturer is generally outside it, and may be covered by the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award instead, which leaves out employees of electrical contractors (clause 4.10(h)). There an Engineering Tradesperson (Electrical/Electronic) Level I is wage group C10 (Schedule A.4.7), with a minimum of $29.45 an hour before that award's own allowances, on Manufacturing Award Pay Rates.
An enterprise agreement can set higher rates than the award, and an employer in Western Australia that is not in the national workplace relations system is covered by the state system instead. Neither is published here.
Every classification in this award, including the ones this page leaves out, is listed on the Electrical Award Pay Rates page.
What $31.13 an hour leaves on a payslip.
A full-time week at the Electrical worker grade 5 rate is $1,182.82 before tax. The ATO weekly withholding schedule for 2026-27 takes $197.00 from it when the tax-free threshold is claimed, so $985.82 reaches your account. Paid fortnightly, it is $1,971.64.
| 38 hours a week | Gross a week | Tax withheld | Take-home a week | Take-home a fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time$31.13 an hour | $1,182.82 | $197.00 | $985.82 | $1,971.64 |
| Casual, same hours$38.91 an hour | $1,478.58 | $292.00 | $1,186.58 | $2,373.16 |
Withholding is the payslip figure, not the year’s tax: the schedule rounds each pay to the dollar and leaves offsets to the tax return, which is why it differs a little from the take-home a year above. Super is paid on top. For a different number of hours, the Weekly Pay Calculator opens with $31.13 and 38 hours filled in, and the Overtime Calculator adds hours at time and a half and double time to the same rate, before any award-specific overtime rules.
Where these figures come from.
Provenance
Verified- Award
- Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025)
- Effective from
- 1 July 2026
- Consolidated to
- 1 July 2026
- Determinations
- PR799306, PR799280, PR799463
- Retrieved
- 19 September 2026
- Ordinary hours
- 38 a week
Every rate above was read from the award text at the Fair Work award library and nothing on this page is copied from another pay site. Rates change from the first full pay period on or after the effective date, so a payslip covering the changeover can lawfully carry the older figure for part of the period.
The clause 16.2 minimums, the clause 18.3 allowances and the clause 16.3(a) rule were read from the award, and each all-purpose rate was worked out from them and compared with every figure the award and the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide published on 7 August 2026 print: 290 figures in Schedule B and 234 in the guide, all agreeing to the cent. The award prints no weekly all-purpose total and no rate with the licence allowance, so those figures are marked here as printed in the guide only; where the guide and the award differ, the award applies. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
What this page does not cover.
Listed as plainly as what it does, because a rate page that hides its gaps is how the wrong number ends up on a payslip.
Grades 1 to 4
Labourers, trades assistants and other grades below the trade level are on the Electrical Award Pay Rates page, with their own rates.
Shiftwork rates
Afternoon, night and permanent night shift rates are printed in Schedule B of the award and checked, but not published on this page.
Other allowances
Leading hand, nominee, line maintenance, ordering materials, multistorey, towers, first aid, travel, meal and living away allowances are not added to any rate here.
Market pay and call-out charges
This page publishes the award minimum an employer must pay an electrician, not average or advertised pay, and not the hourly rate an electrical contractor charges a customer. Many electricians are paid above the award.
Enterprise agreements
An agreement can set higher rates and different conditions. None is published here.
Which grade applies
The grade depends on qualifications, modules and experience under Schedule A. This page sets out the tests, but does not assess anyone against them.
Electrician Wage questions, answered.
How much does an electrician earn per hour in Australia?
At least $31.13 an hour for a qualified electrician at Electrical worker grade 5 under the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, and $32.19 an hour for one who holds and may be required to use an unrestricted licence. Both include the allowances the award pays for all purposes. Higher grades, reached with post-trade study or experience, pay up to $38.91, or $39.97 with the licence allowance, at grade 10. These are legal minimums; many employers pay more.
What is the minimum wage for a qualified electrician?
$1,182.82 a week, $31.13 an hour, for a full-time Electrical worker grade 5 on a 38-hour week. That is the clause 16.2 minimum of $1,119.10 plus the $41.41 industry allowance and the $22.31 tool allowance, which clause 16.3(a) adds to the rate for all purposes. With the $40.29 licence allowance the minimum is $1,223.11 a week, $32.19 an hour. Over 52 weeks those are $61,507 and $63,602 a year before tax.
Does a licensed electrician get paid more under the award?
Yes, by $40.29 a week, which is $1.06 an hour at grade 5. Clause 18.3(b) pays it to an electrical mechanic who holds, and in the course of their duties may be required to use, an unrestricted licence. It is an all-purpose allowance, so it also lifts overtime, penalty rates and leave: overtime at 150% is $48.29 an hour with it and $46.70 without. Holding a licence that the job never calls on does not attract it.
What is the casual rate for an electrician?
$38.91 an hour at grade 5, and $40.24 with the licence allowance. Clause 11.2 adds a 25% loading to the ordinary hourly rate, and because the industry, tool and licence allowances form part of that rate, the loading applies to them too. A casual must be engaged and paid for at least 2 consecutive hours each time (clause 11.6). Casual overtime is 187.5% for the first 2 hours and 250% after that.
What is the overtime rate for an electrician?
150% of the ordinary hourly rate for the first 2 hours and 200% after that, Monday to Saturday (clause 20.1). At grade 5 that is $46.70 and $62.26 an hour, or $48.29 and $64.38 with the licence allowance. All work on a Sunday is paid at 200% and on a public holiday at 250%. Overtime on a Saturday, Sunday, rostered day off or public holiday is paid for at least 4 hours (clause 20.3).
What is an electrician special class paid?
Electrician special class is Electrical worker grade 7 (Schedule A.2.7): $33.81 an hour, $1,284.82 a week, or $34.87 an hour with the licence allowance. It is a grade 5 tradesperson who has completed a Post Trade Certificate, 9 modules towards an Advanced Certificate or Diploma, or a Certificate IV in Electrotechnology, or who has reached the same standard through other means including at least 2 years in the industry, and who is employed to use those skills.
Do electricians get a tool allowance?
Yes. Clause 18.3(g) pays $22.31 a week to every Electrical worker at grade 5 and above for maintaining an adequate kit of tools, and it is paid for all purposes of the award. The grade 5 rate of $31.13 an hour on this page already includes it, along with the $41.41 industry allowance, so it should not be added a second time. A payslip should still show it separately: the award's note to clause 18 points to the Fair Work Regulations 2009, which require any allowance paid to be separately identified.
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