How Much Can I Earn As An Electrician?

What's one of the first questions you're going to ask yourself when considering electrical training? It's most likely 'how much can I earn?'

As well as wanting a job you'll enjoy, earning enough to support yourself and your family is a vital aspect.

As a beginner in any career, you won’t go in at the top of a pay range straight away. However, retraining as an electrician means that you have skills to take you into various employed and self-employed positions.

What Does The Training Involve?

Options Skills courses cater to everyone from beginners with no experience to time-served electricians. Our class sizes are small and tutors with years of industry experience deliver the training.

Our NVQ Level 3 Electrical Training is for those looking to become installation electricians. Throughout the course, students complete centre-led training and work on-site to gain invaluable experience. In addition, you'll undertake an AM2 assessment which, upon completion, means you can apply for your ECS Gold Card. Throughout your training, Options Skills will be on hand to help and support you.

What Am I Trained To Do?

Training to become an installation electrician will include a variety of aspects of electrical work. Health and safety, installation and wiring, circuits and 18th Edition wiring regulations are just some of what you will learn.

As an installation electrician, you will be able to work unsupervised on installation, commissioning and the maintenance of low voltage electrical and electronic devices.

How Much Can I Earn?

Your earning potential as an electrician will depend on your experience level and where you work. Newly qualified electricians working for an employer can expect to earn a starting salary of £19,000 - £22,000 per annum.

As your experience increases, so will your wage. Additionally, earnings vary depending on where you're based/working. For example, the average wage of an electrician in London and the southeast is around £36,000. Earnings can vary greatly, but on average, you can expect to earn £32,500. (Source: TotalJobs)

Should I Be Employed Or Self-Employed?

Again, this is entirely dependent on your level of skill and experience. A newly-qualified electrician would have a more stable income working for an employer. Still, as their experience level and reputation grows, many electricians find themselves opting to work on a self-employed basis.

As a self-employed electrician, you can set your pay rate, choose your working hours and what jobs you take on. However, you must cover these costs without an employer to pay for your holiday and sick pay. As a result, monthly earnings can fluctuate.

Employment offers steady pay and regular working hours, with holiday and sick pay paid per your contract. Although, when working for a company, you'll have less say in the jobs you undertake and less flexibility.

Both options have their pros and cons, and you may find you need to try both out to see which style of working works best for you.