Home Electrical Trades Assistant Salary
Electrical Trades Assistant salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an electrical trades assistant is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,900 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the award or enterprise agreement your employer works under, so construction and utilities sites generally pay better than manufacturing and maintenance work.
- Overtime, shift loadings and site allowances can add considerably to a base rate, and labour hire arrangements often pay a casual loading instead of paid leave.
- While you are on a traineeship, pay is set by the training award rather than the trade rate.
The median salary rose by $13,900 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than electrical trades assistant
The largest typical pay rise is $77,000 a year, moving into Powerline Worker.
- Powerline Worker+$77,000/yr
- Electrician+$48,900/yr
- Air Conditioning Technician+$44,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher electrical trades assistant salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time electrical trades assistant salary is $65,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Hand and power tool work and Installation and maintenance tend to command a premium over general electrical trades assistant experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Powerline Worker pays a typical $77,000 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Electrical Trades Assistant salary questions
How much do electrical trades assistants earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an electrical trades assistant is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is electrical trades assistant pay rising or falling?
The median electrical trades assistant salary is up $13,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than electrical trades assistant?
Powerline Worker pays a typical $77,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to electrical trades assistant.
Related salaries
- Electrician salary
- Powerline Worker salary
- Air Conditioning Technician salary
- Electrical Engineering Technician salary
- Cable Jointer salary
- Builder's Labourer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.