2019 Trade Salary Snapshot: Electrician Pay Jumps 5 % and Stays Top of the League 

Every spring the Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases its Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, giving us the most reliable picture of what UK tradespeople really bank. We have pored over the 2019 tables and—good news, sparkies—your pay packet is still the fattest on site. In fact, electricians enjoyed the single-biggest rise of any core trade last year. 

The Headline Number: £32,315 

The median electrician salary climbed from £30,784 to £32,315—a healthy 5 % leap. To put that in context, plumbers were next best with a 3.9 % bump, while most other trades managed 2 – 3 %. Median values are the ONS’s preferred yard-stick because they are less skewed by a handful of super-high earners; half of UK electricians made more than £32.3 k, half less. 

That gap means the typical spark now earns roughly £1,260 more than a plumber and nearly £5 k more than a roofer. 

How Electricians Price Their Work 

Most self-employed sparks charge day-rates or fixed fees rather than salaries. Typical figures gathered from regional job boards and wholesaler counter-chat look like this: 

Hourly and daily rates span £40–£60 and £180–£350 respectively, with the South-East peaking at £45 per hour or £350 a day. Of course, being self-employed means covering van costs, test gear, insurance and membership of a competent-person scheme. 

Trainee and Mate Earnings 

Apprentices start low—around the statutory minimum of £3.70 an hour—but most employers top that up to about £170 a week. Many adult learners now front-load theory first (City & Guilds 2365 Level 2 & 3) and join sites as electricians’ mates on £21–25 k while they build an NVQ 3 portfolio. 

JIB Rate Card 2019 

The Joint Industry Board’s recommended national hourly rates (own transport) kicked in on 7 January 2019: 

• Trainee Electrician – £12.08 

• Electrician – £15.05 

• Approved Electrician – £16.32 

• Site Technician – £18.37 

London and South-East uplifts run roughly £1.40–£2.20 higher across the board. 

Moving Up the Pay Ladder 

Qualification and experience still drive the biggest jumps: 

1. Trainee Electrician – normally C&G 2365 and on-site hours
   
   
2. Electrician – NVQ 3 + AM2 (C&G 2357) 
   
   
3. Approved Electrician – add C&G 2391-52 Inspection & Testing
   
   
4. Site Technician – over five years’ supervisory experience plus a Level-4 diploma or HNC 

Add-on skills boost earnings too. EV-charger installation, for example, routinely pays £250 labour for a single domestic wall-pod and demand is snowballing. 

Four Proven Income Boosters 

1. Agency contracts – great for improvers hunting varied experience and quick cash. 
   
   
2. Overtime – commercial projects under deadline pay time-and-a-half after hours. 
   
   
3. Up-skilling – design, inspection, renewables or fire-alarm courses push day-rates higher. 
   
   
4. Going self-employed – once you have a customer base, margins rise sharply. 

Why the Outlook Remains Bright 

The housing market keeps expanding, public EV-charger grants run until at least 2025, and a wave of older electricians are edging toward retirement. That supply gap should keep day-rates buoyant for years. In short, anyone willing to graft, invest in quality tools and keep qualifications current can realistically top £40–45 k—especially in the South-East. 

Training Next Steps 

• 18th Edition (C&G 2382-18)  – mandatory for anyone signing work. 

• Inspection & Testing (C&G 2391-52) – pathway to Approved status. 

• Electrical Design (C&G 2396) – step toward Site Technician grade. 

Elec Training Birmingham runs all of the above plus fast-track NVQ 3 programmes for career-changers. Whether you are starting as an apprentice or levelling up from improver, the latest ONS numbers show the electrical trade still offers the best financial upside in construction. 

If you combine solid workmanship with smart up-skilling and a strong work ethic, there is no real ceiling on what you can earn. Sparkies once again top the trade wage table for 2019—and all indicators suggest the current is only getting stronger.