In the United States, the electrician salary is $51,644 per year. While Canadian electricians earn C$62,105 ($49,249) per year. In the UK the same professionals win £26,204 ($36,481) each year, while those from Australia make AU$68,716 ($53,551) each year.
People with the same job working in Switzerland get paid CHF 59,577 ($63,563) per year, while those living in Norway make NOK530,604 ($66,957) each year. Read below how the nature of the electrical industry, experience, and location of work determine the electrician salary.
Electrician Salary Influencers
1. Industry
Electricians work for contractors, power companies, and especially larger companies as in-house electricians. Many own their own business. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says 8% of electricians are self-employed. For these electricians, compensation depends on the fees they set and jobs they fetch. Industrial electricians tend to make more than electricians overall.
The compensation of electricians turns significantly on whether the electrician is self-employed or works for a contractor or company. The type of employer or customer for whom the electrician serves also plays a role in salaries and bonuses. Pay can also increase due to overtime work, especially in responding to power outages or emergencies.
2. Geographical Area
| Electrician Salary | US | Canada | UK | Australia | Switzerland | Norway |
| Hourly Wage | $20.99 | C$29.47 ($23.39) | £12.52 ($17.41) | AU$30.49 ($23.76) | CHF 30.00 ($32.03) | NOK239.88 ($30.27) |
| Annual Wage | $51,644 | C$62,105 ($49,249) | £26,204 ($36,481) | AU$68,716 ($53,551) | CHF 59,577 ($63,563) | NOK530,604 ($66,957) |
Electrician Salary in the US
The hourly pay for an electrician is $20.99, therefore the pay per year is at $51,644. While the total annual pay ranges between $29,649 to $82,583.
Electrician Salary in Canada
PayScale reports that electricians in Canada make between C$35,797 and C$92,26 per year. The median pay is $29.47 per hour or C$62,105 per year. For industrial electricians, the range is C$44,560 to C$88,542 per year, with a median pay of C$63,086 per year, or C$33.03 per hour.
Electrician Salary in the UK
According to the National Career Service, the salary for starting electricians runs from £18,000 to £23,000 per year. In the experienced category, electricians make between £25,000 and £35,000 per year. Highly experienced electricians typically can earn as much as £42,000 per year.
Electrician Salary in Australia
PayScale says electricians in Australia are paid from AU$42,178 to AU$98,180. The average stands at AU$30.49 per hour or AU$68,716 per year.
Electrician Salary in Switzerland
Swiss electricians earn CHF 30.00 per hour or CHF 59,577 per year. While the total pay ranges between CHF 31,095 and CHF 87,584 per year.
Electrician Salary in Norway
According to Payscale, the hourly earnings for electricians is at $30.27, while the total yearly pay is at $66,957. The total pay ranging from $48,263 to $99,621 per year.
3. Experience
Typically, electricians obtain work experience through apprenticeships. In these programs, aspiring electricians perform tasks under the supervision of licensed electricians. Some apprentices may also be able to combine classroom work with on-the-job training. However, the length of apprenticeships varies by country.
For example, in the United States, electricians spend typically four to five years as an apprentice. For each year, the apprentice must log normally 144 hours of technical training and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job work. In Ontario, Canada, the length of time is five years or 9,000 hours.
On-the-job training is normally a prerequisite to becoming a licensed electrical contractor in most jurisdictions. Additionally, experience after becoming licensed or completing an apprenticeship can factor into pay for electricians. Self-employed electricians rely on advertising their length of experience to attract customers and clients.
Working Hours
Generally, being an electrician is a full-time occupation. Electricians typically work regular weekday shifts. However, evening and weekend work is not uncommon. In particular, self-employed electricians and those who work for electrical contractors need to be on call to respond to outages or other problems at residences, offices or commercial establishments. During severe weather and other events likely to cause power loss, electricians employed by power companies may have significant overtime and irregular work hours.
Self-employed electricians typically enjoy more flexibility in setting their work hours. Also, with control over fees and rates, electricians who own their business may charge higher rates for after-hours work.
Bonuses & Benefit Packages
To restore power or respond to localized outages, electricians often work overtime. For example, overtime pay runs from C$29.15 to C$73.65 in Canada and from AU$30.90 to AU$76.87 in Australia. Overtime pay for Norwegian electricians is $60.22 per hour.
Depending on the employer, electricians can earn bonuses. Bonuses for electricians in the United Kingdom range between £51.52 and £5,781 per year. In Australia, bonuses run between AU$488 and AU$10,304 each year, while Canadian electricians can make between C$196 and C$9,609 per year. Bonuses for electricians in the United States run between $154 and $7,030 per year.
Electricians who work for small contractors might not obtain retirement or pensions. However, in Switzerland and Norway, employees are entitled to pension funded by employers. Switzerland mandates employer participation at one of three levels of the Swiss retirement system. Additionally, in Australia, employees of electrical contractors participate in superannuation, which sets aside 9.5 percent of earnings for retirement.
Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an additional 59,600 electrician jobs, or 9 percent growth, by 2026. In Australia, job openings for electricians could exceed 50,000 by November 2019. The Australian government expects employment to grow “very strongly.” The Canadian Business Magazine says that, from 2016 to 2021, there should be more than one opening per seeker for electrical and telecommunications contractors.
Job prospects will depend upon economic conditions. With increases in new homes construction comes the demand for electricians’ services. Conversely, where the new housing market constricts, electricians may have fewer jobs or contracts to fulfill. Electricians can also find opportunities for building owners or others who seek to renovate buildings. In fact, these projects will trigger the need for electricians to bring the older buildings into compliance with updated or new building or electrical codes.
Conclusion
To conclude, electricians undergo apprenticeships and other training to earn licenses or qualifications to work for electric companies or contractors. With a license, an electrician can become self-employed and set their own rates. Pay prospects can be strong for those electricians employed by larger companies or those who work as industrial electricians. To read more about the pay in the field of constructions, discover the salary of structural engineers.