// AUSTRALIAN TRADIE RATES AND BENCHMARKS 2026
How much do electricians charge per hour in Australia?
As of August 2026, electricians in Australia typically charge $80 to $150 per hour, with most quotes landing around $100 to $120. Call-out fees usually run $50 to $150, with $90 typical. Rates climb in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and after-hours emergency work attracts loadings.
Last updated: 7 August 2026. Sources: 5 industry datasets.
// THE DATA
Hourly rates in detail
Electrician pricing is the best-documented trade rate in Australia, and four 2026 sources land on the same band. WhatsTheDamage lists $80 to $150 per hour with $115 typical, Service.com.au puts the average at $100 inside $80 to $130, and ServiceSeeking's marketplace average is $116.15 per hour from a $34 minimum, with the average total electrical job at $768.
| Rate | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National range | $80 to $150 per hour | WhatsTheDamage, verified Aug 2026; Service.com.au, 14 Apr 2026 |
| Typical rate | $115 per hour | WhatsTheDamage, verified Aug 2026; ServiceSeeking average $116.15 |
| Sydney* | $90 to $130 per hour | Service.com.au, updated 14 Apr 2026 |
| Melbourne* | $85 to $130 per hour | Service.com.au, updated 14 Apr 2026 |
| Brisbane* | $75 to $110 per hour | Service.com.au, updated 14 Apr 2026 |
| Perth* | $90 to $105 per hour | Service.com.au, updated 14 Apr 2026 |
| Adelaide* | $80 to $100 per hour | Service.com.au, updated 14 Apr 2026 |
| Darwin* | $80 to $110 per hour | Service.com.au, updated 14 Apr 2026 |
Rows marked * are single-sourced; treat them as indicative rather than settled benchmarks.
Geographic rows show the per-city hourly range (Service.com.au, updated 14 Apr 2026).
Prices are what customers are quoted, including GST where the business is registered.
Quotcha (updated 12 May 2026) splits the market by geography: metro capitals run $85 to $140 per hour while regional NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia run $75 to $115. The exception is regional WA at $95 to $160, where distance pushes prices the other way. The same guide lists after-hours loadings of 1.5 times the standard rate for evenings and Saturdays, 2 times for Sundays and late nights, and 2 to 2.5 times on public holidays.
// CALL-OUT FEES
Call-out fees
$50 to $150 standard call-out fee, typically $90
A call-out fee is the flat charge for getting a licensed electrician and a stocked van to your door, and it usually covers travel plus the first block of time on site. As of August 2026 the standard range is $50 to $150, with $90 typical; Quotcha puts metro call-outs at $80 to $150 in standard hours.
Emergencies are priced differently. After-hours emergency call-outs run $200 to $400, and Service.com.au frames the same structure as a $100 to $200 call-out plus $150 to $300 per hour once on site.
// DAY RATES
Day rates
Electrician day rates are the messiest figure in this dataset, so this page publishes full-day numbers only. The table below is Quotcha's pricing for a full 8-hour day, updated 12 May 2026.
| Rate | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney, Melbourne, Perth | $900 to $1,100 per full 8-hour day | Quotcha, updated 12 May 2026 |
| Brisbane, Adelaide | $700 to $950 per full 8-hour day | Quotcha, updated 12 May 2026 |
| Regional | $650 to $850 per full 8-hour day | Quotcha, updated 12 May 2026 |
A ServiceSeeking average of $372.86 per day also circulates. It is skewed by part-day jobs billed as day work and is not a full-day figure, which is why it is footnoted here rather than tabled.
// THE COST FLOOR
Why rates are what they are: the cost floor
An employed electrician's award minimum wage, including all-purpose allowances, is $32.19 per hour (Fair Work, Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025), 2026). The rate a electrician business charges customers is $80 to $150 per hour. The difference pays for the ute, insurance, tools, super, unbillable hours and the business's risk.
Add the 12% Superannuation Guarantee and that $32.19 award minimum becomes $36.05 an hour before leave, workers compensation, the van or a single tool is paid for. An electrician charging $40 an hour would clear less than $4 above the bare cost of employing themselves, which is why real charge-out rates start near $80.
The $36.05 employee-cost figure is a derivation, the award hourly rate multiplied by 1.12 for the Superannuation Guarantee, not a published statistic. Award classification: Electrical worker grade 5, incl. industry, tool and electrician licence allowances.
// FREE TOOL
Work out your own rate
Knowing the market band is half the job; the other half is knowing your own floor. The calculator takes your target wage, overheads and billable hours and returns the charge-out rate and day rate your electrical business actually needs.
Charge-out rate and day rate calculator Opens with the electrician preset loaded// COMMON QUESTIONS
Electrician rate questions
Straight answers to the questions people actually search, from the same dataset as the tables above.
Get in touchHow much does an electrician cost per hour in Australia?
As of August 2026, licensed electricians charge $80 to $150 per hour across Australia, with most quotes landing around $100 to $120. Sydney, Melbourne and Perth sit at the top of the range, while regional rates outside WA are usually lower.
What is an electrician call-out fee?
A call-out fee is a flat charge for attending, covering travel and the first block of time on site. Australian electricians typically charge $50 to $150, with $90 common. After-hours emergency call-outs run $200 to $400.
How much do electricians charge per day?
For a full 8-hour day, expect $900 to $1,100 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, $700 to $950 in Brisbane and Adelaide, and $650 to $850 regionally (Quotcha, May 2026). Lower marketplace averages reflect part-day jobs, not full days.
Do electricians charge more after hours?
Yes. Published loadings run about 1.5 times the standard rate for evenings and Saturdays, 2 times for Sundays and late nights, and 2 to 2.5 times on public holidays, with emergency call-out fees of $200 to $400.
Do electricians charge GST on top?
Generally no. Prices quoted to customers are what you pay, including GST where the business is registered. The rates on this page follow that convention, so treat them as GST-inclusive quoted prices rather than figures that grow by 10% at invoice time.
// METHODOLOGY & SOURCES
Sources and methodology
Ranges on this page combine 5 published Australian datasets and cost guides, cross-checked on 7 August 2026; award wage floors come from official Fair Work pay guides effective 1 July 2026. This page is part of the Australian Tradie Rates and Benchmarks dataset. This dataset is reviewed and republished every July following the Fair Work annual wage review.
- ServiceSeeking, electrician prices 2026
Page date: Published 11 Feb 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- WhatsTheDamage, electrician cost guide
Page date: Last verified August 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- Service.com.au, electrician cost guide
Page date: Updated 14 Apr 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- Quotcha, electrician hourly rate guide
Page date: Updated 12 May 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- Fair Work pay guide, MA000025 (effective 1 Jul 2026)
Page date: Pay guide dated 7 Aug 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
// KEEP EXPLORING