What does an Electrician earn?
Discussion
swerni said:
How does and individual do 10 to 15 jobs a week when each takes 2 days ?
How many week does your tiler do circa 3 jobs?
How many weeks does rhe boiler man fit 5 boilers?
We csn all take it our best weeks and extrapolate, but that's not the same thing as annual earnings
I think you misread... I said I know guys who ARE doing as I said above... i.e. 5 boilers a week, 5 tiled bathrooms a week...... like I said.... If you want to work the hours, and can generate the work... you can do very well. How many week does your tiler do circa 3 jobs?
How many weeks does rhe boiler man fit 5 boilers?
We csn all take it our best weeks and extrapolate, but that's not the same thing as annual earnings
My working days now are often out doing some physical graft with my guys until 6/7pm.. I did come off the tools for while but prefer being on them, I then come home and sometime sit on laptop till 11/12....
16 hour shifts you could say... 3-4 times a week, the rest being at least 12 hours.
Its through choice though... I like the financial reward and Im willing to work for it.
S1MMA said:
unclemark123 said:
£150 a day is a pittance for a 4 year apprenticeship served tradesman.
Tell that to a nurse or teacher with a degree. Tradesemen like you are a bit too full of yourselves:Let's get this straight, tradesmen are not highly educated or highly skilled to demand very high salaries. Their education level is generally low and their skill is low/medium. They work in a competitive environment, so their rate is a function of their scarcity and market demand. £150 a day sounds reasonable for me for an electrician. They are not maxillofacial surgeons.
Get your head out of your ass and learn something about economics.
te. I also disagree that quality Electricians are not highly educated. No we don't have degrees, but there is a huge amount of knowledge to our game.What you you do? And can you justify you are 'worth' what you earn? that guy on £150 a day probably sees around 25/28k a year in his pocket. In London. I wonder how easy it would be to live and survive on that?
What I don't get is this. I was looking to get outside power to my new office (day rate IT contractor - no degree!!) and struggled to get a spark to even look at the job, let alone quote. When I did get someone I've paid £600 in total.
Materials (40m SWA, fixings, not much else) must be £100? So, £500 for 5 hours work (cable from the CU isnt even well hidden, just in a plastic conduit).
So, assuming he's planning his work well and fuly booked, hes making £500 revenue, £400 gross profit (est), so 2k GP per week, say 44 weeks per year.
Set yourself up as ltd co and your not far off a well paid IT contractor or similar.
Not saying they don't deserve it as in my case the market clearly dictates they do, but not bad money all the same.
Materials (40m SWA, fixings, not much else) must be £100? So, £500 for 5 hours work (cable from the CU isnt even well hidden, just in a plastic conduit).
So, assuming he's planning his work well and fuly booked, hes making £500 revenue, £400 gross profit (est), so 2k GP per week, say 44 weeks per year.
Set yourself up as ltd co and your not far off a well paid IT contractor or similar.
Not saying they don't deserve it as in my case the market clearly dictates they do, but not bad money all the same.
MoelyCrio said:
What I don't get is this. I was looking to get outside power to my new office (day rate IT contractor - no degree!!) and struggled to get a spark to even look at the job, let alone quote. When I did get someone I've paid £600 in total.
Materials (40m SWA, fixings, not much else) must be £100? So, £500 for 5 hours work (cable from the CU isnt even well hidden, just in a plastic conduit).
So, assuming he's planning his work well and fuly booked, hes making £500 revenue, £400 gross profit (est), so 2k GP per week, say 44 weeks per year.
Set yourself up as ltd co and your not far off a well paid IT contractor or similar.
Not saying they don't deserve it as in my case the market clearly dictates they do, but not bad money all the same.
He may have done another job that day too, plus that may not be a profitable job for him.Materials (40m SWA, fixings, not much else) must be £100? So, £500 for 5 hours work (cable from the CU isnt even well hidden, just in a plastic conduit).
So, assuming he's planning his work well and fuly booked, hes making £500 revenue, £400 gross profit (est), so 2k GP per week, say 44 weeks per year.
Set yourself up as ltd co and your not far off a well paid IT contractor or similar.
Not saying they don't deserve it as in my case the market clearly dictates they do, but not bad money all the same.
Yet people keep saying they earn pittance on here.
I'm surpised nobody has googled the answer....
http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/B/bric...
https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/posts/electrician-...
http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/electrical-for...
It's probably similar to my line of work. Some accountants earn £25k, some earn £1m. Most are somewhere in between.
http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/B/bric...
https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/posts/electrician-...
http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/electrical-for...
It's probably similar to my line of work. Some accountants earn £25k, some earn £1m. Most are somewhere in between.
swerni said:
jonah35 said:
MoelyCrio said:
What I don't get is this. I was looking to get outside power to my new office (day rate IT contractor - no degree!!) and struggled to get a spark to even look at the job, let alone quote. When I did get someone I've paid £600 in total.
Materials (40m SWA, fixings, not much else) must be £100? So, £500 for 5 hours work (cable from the CU isnt even well hidden, just in a plastic conduit).
So, assuming he's planning his work well and fuly booked, hes making £500 revenue, £400 gross profit (est), so 2k GP per week, say 44 weeks per year.
Set yourself up as ltd co and your not far off a well paid IT contractor or similar.
Not saying they don't deserve it as in my case the market clearly dictates they do, but not bad money all the same.
He may have done another job that day too, plus that may not be a profitable job for him.Materials (40m SWA, fixings, not much else) must be £100? So, £500 for 5 hours work (cable from the CU isnt even well hidden, just in a plastic conduit).
So, assuming he's planning his work well and fuly booked, hes making £500 revenue, £400 gross profit (est), so 2k GP per week, say 44 weeks per year.
Set yourself up as ltd co and your not far off a well paid IT contractor or similar.
Not saying they don't deserve it as in my case the market clearly dictates they do, but not bad money all the same.
Yet people keep saying they earn pittance on here.
How does speculating prove anything?
I could be wrong of course.
MoelyCrio said:
spark to even look at the job, let alone quote. When I did get someone I've paid £600 in total.
Materials (40m SWA, fixings, not much else) must be £100? So, £500 for 5 hours work (cable from the CU isnt even well hidden, just in a plastic conduit).
Possible he ran 16mm to account for all options. That's a couple hundred quid plus VAT.Materials (40m SWA, fixings, not much else) must be £100? So, £500 for 5 hours work (cable from the CU isnt even well hidden, just in a plastic conduit).
I'm a sparky by trade and in my mid twenties I spent a bit of time contracting about in Yorkshire, where I used to live, back in 2007-2010.
It varied from site to site and employer to employer, if you're working through an agency you can expect anything from £13 to £15 an hour as a standard sparky, perhaps more if you're approved and doing the testing.
I worked for one guy for just less than a year and he paid a flat rate of £160/day on the building sites, which was pretty good all things considered - we often got early flyers of an evening and only worked a short day on a Friday so no complaints there, weekends were paid the same but you just did a shorter day so in effect your hourly rate was higher. I've seen chaps house bashing earn a good wage but it's hard and dirty graft so it's not like they are earning good money for shelling peas. I never liked doing it though - wouldn't want to make a career out of it.
When I moved to Aberdeen I was given a job as a maintenance sparky on shifts etc and the salary was £31,000 but OTE was closer to £55,000 - you had to put the hours in though, it wasn't given to you on a plate.
Currently doing the instrumentation and programming side of things as a "Systems Engineer", really good salary and perks, so there is always room for movement within the electrical industry/field. Plenty of diversity (geddit?).
It varied from site to site and employer to employer, if you're working through an agency you can expect anything from £13 to £15 an hour as a standard sparky, perhaps more if you're approved and doing the testing.
I worked for one guy for just less than a year and he paid a flat rate of £160/day on the building sites, which was pretty good all things considered - we often got early flyers of an evening and only worked a short day on a Friday so no complaints there, weekends were paid the same but you just did a shorter day so in effect your hourly rate was higher. I've seen chaps house bashing earn a good wage but it's hard and dirty graft so it's not like they are earning good money for shelling peas. I never liked doing it though - wouldn't want to make a career out of it.
When I moved to Aberdeen I was given a job as a maintenance sparky on shifts etc and the salary was £31,000 but OTE was closer to £55,000 - you had to put the hours in though, it wasn't given to you on a plate.
Currently doing the instrumentation and programming side of things as a "Systems Engineer", really good salary and perks, so there is always room for movement within the electrical industry/field. Plenty of diversity (geddit?).
Edited by Axionknight on Monday 23 November 08:40
unclemark123 said:
I take it from your response that you obviously think you know better?
I know more about labor economics than an electrician or tradesman, yes. Just having 2 degrees in Economics doesn't make you an expert mind, but labor economics was something I always had interest in before and after studies. You want to know more, instead of arguing on pistonheads - read a book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Labour-Economics-Stephen-W...unclemark123 said:
So from £150 a day that self employed Electrician must pay to run a vehicle, insure his business, pay for regular training, provide tools, accountancy fees, phone etc etc. He also had to train for 4 years on peanuts, and will have needed a few years experience before he would have been skilled enough to go out subbying on his own. That £150 a day equates to £36k a year based on working 48 weeks a year. Frankly that is total ste. I also disagree that quality Electricians are not highly educated. No we don't have degrees, but there is a huge amount of knowledge to our game.
Whilst I don't disagree the pay isn't high, you need to see that there aren't many barriers to enter the "tradesman" labor market apart from some relatively basic training and on the job experience. You would probably learn more from an experienced high quality tradesman as a junior than you would from a textbook, do you agree? Out of the whole population a small percentage would not pass a tradesman study course, compare that to the percentage capable of becoming Surgeons, Pilots, or Actuaries? Now you are starting to understand what is a scarce resource and what are high barriers to entry.te. I also disagree that quality Electricians are not highly educated. No we don't have degrees, but there is a huge amount of knowledge to our game.I'm not having a pop at tradesman, I don't have any bone to pick. I'm just looking at their pay as a function of their scarcity and the market and I believe they do not command a high pay generally. Why should they? If you are a specialist electrician working on high voltage commercial applications, you will be trained and probably certified to a much higher level, you have now become more scarce! Therefor you can demand a higher pay. Getting it yet?
Also you and the other tradesman seem to be very defensive about your training and it's complexity. How do you know how complex the training is compared to other professions? Compare your training to that of a Lawyer for example. Good GCSEs, top A-Levels, then 3-4 years at university (possibly longer if you do an MA or LPC), try to find one of a handful of training contracts if you are good enough and lucky, then you start the real training - your professional qualifications! You will have £25k -£50k in debt by the time you start work, and then the fun only begins with many more years in front you of to qualify as a Solicitor. Look at the professional qualifications an Actuary has to go through, this takes many many years and is a huge cost post studies whilst working. I'm not taking the piss, and wiring or carpentry is a skill in itself - and I'm not saying one is better or worse, but it's hardly comparable to 10 years plus of study and professional qualifications. This is what in a perfect labor market should determine pay! Of course, there are many other factors that determine your pay rate in a competitive market, stress levels, risk, income generation (esp for finance jobs), shift patterns (time on the job etc), and many more factors. That book above will help with this if you actually care.
unclemark123 said:
What you you do? And can you justify you are 'worth' what you earn? that guy on £150 a day probably sees around 25/28k a year in his pocket. In London. I wonder how easy it would be to live and survive on that?
I work in finance, and I made sure that I didn't pick up skills and experience that were relatively common, I made myself a scarce resource by applying elements of my education and chose a path in work that made me stand out, like a number of electricians who have responded have also done in their respective areas. I have worked in different countries and continents and I am not easy to replace. Am I worth what I am paid? Yes. I am not overpaid in the market I work in, they would have to pay someone else the same if not more to replace me. I generate a profit of more than 20 times what I am paid by my company - would you pay someone £1 to make you £20? I am of course replaceable (we all are!) but someone with more general experience would not command my salary or have my job security. I understand the labor market, you see... I am not a savvy entrepreneur who takes risks, I have relative security in my work. I was able to buy a GT3 in my 20s and I am still learning in my job which I enjoy which I see as success, not just what the pay check is. If you enjoy your work and you have a healthy family life I class that as winning rather than working all hours/weekends and making 20% more on your annual income.Of course, if you want to earn more, understanding the labor market will help. The suggestions above of how electricians have all upped their pay is all down to understanding or applying an element of labor economics.
turbospud said:
Sump said:
Chap talks sense.
not really, had he stuck in at school and become an electrian or a plumber he could have bought an rs2 when he was 17 Edited by Sump on Wednesday 2nd December 15:59
Agency reporting in.
Commercial rates are driven by the supply of skilled labour available in the market.
The fewer skilled Electricians, the quicker the rate starts to rise as people move for that extra bit of money between sites.
Since 2008, the construction industry has started picking back up and with it more projects are underway with London being the busiest it has been for quite some time.
"On the cards" Electricians directly employed by Electrical Contractors have not seen substantial increases in their wages due to many projects being priced to compete during the recession. Agency / Temporary / "Top Up" works though have.
However there will be begin to be a shortage next Summer and the rates will climb again.
Average rate has gone up for Electricians this year from £135.00 per a 9 hour day to £160.00 per a 9 hour day.
That's an increase from £32400 to £38400. Keep in mind that this is working on a 5 day week. Weekends are available on many sites with additional hours and overtime rates available too. Testing also pays a premium and comes with overall better conditions as the walls are up and the sides on a building before most commercial testing is underway.
Electrical Testers earn £220 - £280 per a 9 hour day up from £180 last Summer. There is a lot of price work available with testing too with some of our testers taking home £1400 - £1600 in gross payments.
Before you are fully qualified though you would be working on these rates:
Electrical Mates average daily rate is currently £90.00 - £110.00
Electrical Improvers (those with C&G Lv2) average daily rate is currently £115 - £130.00
(Theses are gross payment rates which we would pay directly to an operative with his own limited company.)
I can't comment with actual numbers on domestic electricians other than in my experience the rates range from obscenely low (unqualified but with a green CSCS card) to overly stated (which usually means they have quoted the cost of a job and not the actual rate).
The skilled end of the market requires higher rates to attract the right talent. Right now the gap in training is getting bigger as fewer and fewer people under take apprenticeships into trades.
We used to be able to provide information and placements to those interested in getting a trade but due to cuts in Government schemes these opportunities are now seen as a risk more than a long term solution to talent retention by many electrical companies.
Hope this helps but more than welcome to answer any other queries!
Commercial rates are driven by the supply of skilled labour available in the market.
The fewer skilled Electricians, the quicker the rate starts to rise as people move for that extra bit of money between sites.
Since 2008, the construction industry has started picking back up and with it more projects are underway with London being the busiest it has been for quite some time.
"On the cards" Electricians directly employed by Electrical Contractors have not seen substantial increases in their wages due to many projects being priced to compete during the recession. Agency / Temporary / "Top Up" works though have.
However there will be begin to be a shortage next Summer and the rates will climb again.
Average rate has gone up for Electricians this year from £135.00 per a 9 hour day to £160.00 per a 9 hour day.
That's an increase from £32400 to £38400. Keep in mind that this is working on a 5 day week. Weekends are available on many sites with additional hours and overtime rates available too. Testing also pays a premium and comes with overall better conditions as the walls are up and the sides on a building before most commercial testing is underway.
Electrical Testers earn £220 - £280 per a 9 hour day up from £180 last Summer. There is a lot of price work available with testing too with some of our testers taking home £1400 - £1600 in gross payments.
Before you are fully qualified though you would be working on these rates:
Electrical Mates average daily rate is currently £90.00 - £110.00
Electrical Improvers (those with C&G Lv2) average daily rate is currently £115 - £130.00
(Theses are gross payment rates which we would pay directly to an operative with his own limited company.)
I can't comment with actual numbers on domestic electricians other than in my experience the rates range from obscenely low (unqualified but with a green CSCS card) to overly stated (which usually means they have quoted the cost of a job and not the actual rate).
The skilled end of the market requires higher rates to attract the right talent. Right now the gap in training is getting bigger as fewer and fewer people under take apprenticeships into trades.
We used to be able to provide information and placements to those interested in getting a trade but due to cuts in Government schemes these opportunities are now seen as a risk more than a long term solution to talent retention by many electrical companies.
Hope this helps but more than welcome to answer any other queries!
number2 said:
I thought the way to make money was to gain experience and contacts, and then start your own firm.
For most electricians/plumbers etc., earnings are limited if working on your own - there is a market rate, and only so many hours in a day.
True, a lad I went to school with does electrical contracting for the big construction firms.For most electricians/plumbers etc., earnings are limited if working on your own - there is a market rate, and only so many hours in a day.
He's the only employee but he subs all the rest out.
Just bought a million quid house, a Taycan Turbo S and a Cayenne Turbo so must be earning more than £150 a day!
Zoon said:
number2 said:
I thought the way to make money was to gain experience and contacts, and then start your own firm.
For most electricians/plumbers etc., earnings are limited if working on your own - there is a market rate, and only so many hours in a day.
True, a lad I went to school with does electrical contracting for the big construction firms.For most electricians/plumbers etc., earnings are limited if working on your own - there is a market rate, and only so many hours in a day.
He's the only employee but he subs all the rest out.
Just bought a million quid house, a Taycan Turbo S and a Cayenne Turbo so must be earning more than £150 a day!
Now very happy on the books for £43K basic, turn up at 8, leave at 4:30 5 days a week, paid holidays and no hassle.
It took me a while to work out what to do now in my evenings and weekends!
Self employed not for everyone.
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff