Electrician wages
Starting out as an apprentice electrician, after paying your rent and bills, you'll have enough money left over for a can of beans and a stick of gum. Well, perhaps we're exaggerating a little, but doing your time as an apprentice on low wages will actually put you in good stead later on in life.
How much does an apprentice electrician earn?
Electrician apprenticeships in Queensland work on the following pay scales (all figures are full time weekly rates before tax):
- 1st Year - $281.52
- 2nd Year - $387.04
- 3rd Year - $527.80
- 4th Year - $632.79
What does a fully qualified electrician make per year?
Once you finish your apprenticeship and become a fully fledged sparkie, you can expect to earn more as you progress through the various pay grades. And remember, these are award rates only (meaning they are the minimum you will be paid). The award rate for a Grade 1 Electrical contractor is around $650 per week.
Grade 10 electricians can expect to earn a minimum of around $925 per week. Quite often though, electricians will be working for themselves well before Grade 10 and commanding an hourly rate of their choice. The earning capacity is therefore a lot higher.
* All wage figures in this article are quoted from: www.wageline.qld.gov.au/aol/wageline/summary/electrical5.pdf
*Special offer for a limited time. Standard listing price $149/year.