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How Much Does An Electrician Earn UK?
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How much does an Electrician earn UK?
An electrician in the UK earns between £18,500 to £41,500 in a year depending on their experience, skillset and location, as published in this year's Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
The contrast in earnings between junior and experienced electricians is stark. At the beginning of your career, you can expect to see earnings between £18,500 and £26,000. As you spend more time working as an electrician, you can expect to see that nudge up into the £27,000 to £36,000 range. Finally, the top electricians in the UK market earn between £36,000 and £41,500—over double that of those just starting their career.
There are an estimated 122,000 electricians in the UK. Of the regions with statistics available, the South East has the most electricians—nearly 18,000. Comparatively, there are only ~10,000 in the West Midlands—despite it being the second most well-paid region for electricians in the UK, suggesting there might be shortage of qualified sparkies in the area.
Before making the move to start your career as an electrician, keep in mind there are some costs you’ll need to consider that might not apply in other industries. You might need to provide your own tools or cover your own fuel costs, and if you’re starting off as a self-employed electrician you’ll need a strong electrician’s insurance policy to help protect yourself if something goes wrong.
Average Electrician Salary UK
The average salary for an electrician in the UK is £34,224, according to the Office of National Statistics.
There’s a notable difference when comparing electrician salaries regionally. London-based electricians are the best paid in the country, taking home an average of £37,990 (over £2,000 more per year than their closest competitor, the West Midlands). Comparatively, electricians in Wales take home just under £31,600 per year, just below those in the East Midlands or Yorkshire and The Humber, who clock in between £32,000 and £32,500.
| Region | Average Salary 2020 |
|---|---|
| Wales | £31,597 |
| East Midlands | £32,049 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £32,414 |
| South West | £33,662 |
| National Average | £34,224 |
| North West | £34,369 |
| East | £34,592 |
| Scotland | £34,634 |
| North East | £35,459 |
| South East | £35,499 |
| West Midlands | £35,865 |
| London | £37,990 |
The average electrician in London earned £37,990 last year—the most for any region in the UK, and over £2,000 more than the second highest UK region.
Average Electrician Wage UK
The average junior electrician in the UK is paid between £9.00 to £12.50 per hour. After a few years of experience, a qualified electrician could expect to see earnings of around £13.00 to £17.00 each hour. Finally, once you’ve mastered your craft and become an expert electrician, you’ll be taking home between £17.00 and £19.50 every hour worked.
| Experience | Lower Earning Boundary | Upper Earning Boundary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | £18,500 | £26,000 | £9.00-£12.50 |
| Experienced | £27,000 | £36,000 | £13.00-£17.00 |
| Expert | £36,000 | £41,500 | £17.00-£19.50 |
Many electricians, especially those who are self-employed, are paid hourly. Keeping track of your hours each month (and potentially going above and beyond your required amount to take advantage of wallet-friendly overtime rates) can be a simple and effective way to boost your earnings.
If you are self-employed (or are considering it) keep in mind that you likely won’t be earning while you aren’t working, so try to keep your calendar booked well ahead of time or consider signing up to a good local agency who can provide you with quick and easy work. While they will take a cut of the charge to the customer, it’s still more effective than not having any work booked at all.
Generally speaking, an electricians hourly wage is definitely on the higher end when compared to other trades, such as generalist tradesmen.
Auto Electrician Salary UK
The average vehicle electrician/technician in the UK takes home just over £30,000 per year. Just like regular electricians, the best region for vehicle electricians is London, where they make just over £34,500 each year. And again, as was the case with other electricians, vehicle electricians in Wales are the lowest paid, at around £26,100 annually.
| Region | Average Salary 2020 |
|---|---|
| Wales | £26,123 |
| South West | £26,617 |
| East | £28,780 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £28,969 |
| North West | £29,320 |
| West Midlands | £29,536 |
| National Average | £30,163 |
| East Midlands | £30,192 |
| South East | £32,418 |
| North East | £33,332 |
| Scotland | £33,458 |
| London | £34,619 |
While it is a little surprising that vehicle electricians earn a few thousand less per year than domestic electricians, data from the ONS does also include technicians and mechanics, who might bring the average down a little bit.
How much does an apprentice electrician earn UK
An apprentice aged 16 to 18 is guaranteed a minimum electrician apprenticeship wage of £4.30 per hour. An apprentice aged 19 or over in their first year of an apprenticeship is guaranteed the same wage of £4.30 per hour. Once you’re over 19 and have completed the first year of your apprenticeship, you’re guaranteed the National Minimum Wage (or National Living Wage if you’re over 23) as your electrician apprenticeship salary.
You may find some employers offering more than this, especially if they’re operating in a competitive region and want to attract the best talent. And while the pay is undeniably on the lower side during your first year, the skills and experience you gain should set you up for a career that earns you considerably more than you would have without taking on the apprenticeship.
A first year apprentice has a minimum hourly wage of £4.30, irrespective of age.
Electrician Minimum Wage UK
Like any other tradesmen, electrician’s employed by another business are guaranteed the National Minimum Wage for each hour they work. Here are the current rates:
| 23+ | 21-22 | 18-20 | Under-18 | Apprentice | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of April 2021 | £8.91 | £8.36 | £6.56 | £4.62 | £4.30 |
If you’re self-employed, then you won’t benefit from any earnings guarantees, so make sure you charge your customers sufficiently to ensure you’re making enough to keep everything ticking along nicely.
FAQ’s
The average fully qualified electrician can expect to take home between £27,000 to £41,500 per year, giving them a fully qualified electrician’s wage of between £13.00 to £19.50.
It costs between £20-£40 (or £50 if you’re in London) per hour to hire an electrician, so you can expect self-employed sparkies to be taking home somewhere in this range for each hour they work.
Keep in mind that there may be time they spend on-call/not working, which might affect the amount they take home on any given day/week.
The average electrician in the UK earned £34,224 in 2020, according to research by the Office for National Statistics.