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Electrician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an electrician is $113,900 per annum, before tax, up $24,100 since 2018.
- Your weekly figure moves most with where you work and which agreement covers you: industrial and mining sites usually pay above domestic building work, and penalty rates apply to overtime, night shifts and emergency callouts.
- When you compare two jobs, ask how overtime and callouts are worked out and whether the advertised salary assumes a standard week or regular overtime on top.
The median salary rose by $24,100 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 electrician
The largest typical pay rise is $32,100 a year, moving into Auto Electrician.
- Auto Electrician+$32,100/yr
- Electrical Engineer+$18,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher electrician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time electrician salary is $113,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Electricians are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Reading plans and specifications and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general electrician experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Auto Electrician pays a typical $32,100 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."
Electrician salary questions
How much do electricians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an electrician is $113,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is electrician pay rising or falling?
The median electrician salary is up $24,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than electrician?
Auto Electrician pays a typical $32,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to electrician.
Related salaries
- Electrical Engineering Technician salary
- Electrical Engineer salary
- Auto Electrician salary
- Instrumentation Technician salary
- Air Conditioning Technician salary
- Electrical Trades Assistant salary
Pay advice
- 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.
- 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.