So lets try to put some perspective on this

In roughly 1999/2000 I started on £14,500 as an electrician.
Which roughly worked out £300 per week or £7.50 per hour.

Was this good or bad I have no idea
 
So lets try to put some perspective on this

In roughly 1999/2000 I started on £14,500 as an electrician.
Which roughly worked out £300 per week or £7.50 per hour.

Was this good or bad I have no idea
that's<min, wage today.
 
I was a cards in electrician in London and starting was £14,500 for all entry level sparks who just completed their training.
I think by the time I left the company about 8 years later was on around £25,000. Which would have been around 2007 ish.

I think the same company if offering around £32,000 now in London
 
Not sure what is funny about my comment @Murdoch

In 1996 a loaf of bread was 55p. Today it is £1.06. That is a 100% rise.

In 1996 a litre of petrol was 53p. Today it is £1.20. That is a 110% rise.

Has an electricians rate gone up by this much?
 
Not sure what is funny about my comment @Murdoch

In 1996 a loaf of bread was 55p. Today it is £1.06. That is a 100% rise.

In 1996 a litre of petrol was 53p. Today it is £1.20. That is a 110% rise.

Has an electricians rate gone up by this much?

A 100% rise on bread is to be expected, although it all depends on the strength of the yeast and the temperature when left to rise.
 
I was last on a wage in 2007/8 and that was £23.5k for basic hours, JIB rate for electrician grade.
Up here in Hull current employed positions seem to be around £28-33k, so £32k for London would seem incredibly low to me. The cost of living up here is peanuts compared to down there.
 
Not sure what is funny about my comment @Murdoch

In 1996 a loaf of bread was 55p. Today it is £1.06. That is a 100% rise.

In 1996 a litre of petrol was 53p. Today it is £1.20. That is a 110% rise.

Has an electricians rate gone up by this much?

Funny because I doubt many people would have the time and patience to work this out.

In 1996 the personal allowance was £3765. Today it is £12500 - that is a rise of 332%

Reality is that housing is the biggest rise for renters and first time buyers over the same period. Home owners in 1996 to today have seen their assets grow considerably (except in a few places in the UK)
 
Reality is that housing is the biggest rise for renters and first time buyers over the same period. Home owners in 1996 to today have seen their assets grow considerably (except in a few places in the UK)

I'm off to view a house in half an hour. It is up for offers over £160k. It last sold in 1998 for £27k :D

The larger Victorian houses in the area have seen a rise in the same time frame from about £80k to £250-300k

Bananas.
 
I'm off to view a house in half an hour. It is up for offers over £160k. It last sold in 1998 for £27k :D

The larger Victorian houses in the area have seen a rise in the same time frame from about £80k to £250-300k

Bananas.

My first house was £175,000 in 2007 , sold it in 2016 for £315,000

which is bonkers

as I could not have afforded to buy my own house back at todays prices on my todays wages
 
More by luck than judgement I have been extremely lucky with my buying and selling during my working life.

As for affording our current home .......... absolutely no way,
 
I was last on a wage in 2007/8 and that was £23.5k for basic hours, JIB rate for electrician grade.
Up here in Hull current employed positions seem to be around £28-33k, so £32k for London would seem incredibly low to me. The cost of living up here is peanuts compared to down there.

I have just checked a couple job sites and cards in sparks in my area of Surrey most adverts are listed in the £30-35K range
 
Cards in you should be looking at 35k for an installation electrician and a minimum of 10k a year more if subbing.
I don’t agree that you can earn 10k a year more just subbing to companies. Only if your on price. Most subbies I know only take home 30 pound a week more than me and have to spend 50 pound a week on fuel, plus van costs. Better off cards in unless you have you own company.
 
Embarrassingly 20p a year.
In my opinion the trade went down the toilet years ago and unless you start up your own company it is just a job like any other. It will keep a roof over your head and that’s about it. I’ve been through all the anxiety and frustration of money and I’ve come to accept that I’m not prepared to put in the work it takes to have my own company, and I also can’t retrain. So I’m trying to make the best of it. Because of this the job is just a job and as a result I’ve lost some of the passion I had for it 10 years ago.
Fact is it is not all the glamour we are sold when we start. The days of earning £1000 a week plus are gone for subbying to companies or being direct. Unless you wana work down London all week. And my answer to that is No thanks. Got to come to terms with it Pal. It is what it is.
 
When I started work I got £7.50p or actually £7.10s a week which was a fair wage. Bread was 10d or now 4 new pence. Beer was around 10d or 4 new pence I think. Digs were around £2/3 per week. Now I get up to £300 a day in commercial doing fault and rectification after EICR around £200 a day domestic. Bit of a difference. Of the house I have bought originally (10k in 1986) in victorian times the new house was sold for £3 5s 06d circa 1890 now selling for 300k in mid thirties change hands for about £300. Interesting the co-efficients of investment/cost of living.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
As others have mentioned I think it's all relative.

If your on the books then you have to accept that your position is more secure then a subby.

I'm very happy with my current situation, 28k basic for 40hour week. Time and half for all hours over including travel time. Double time sat sun and weekdays after 8pm
Holiday pay
Sick pay all be it SSP
Private usage of the van so I dont need a car and the associated costs
I'm part of a call out rota which is double time for all hours worked and a stand by fee of £100.

As opposed to my previous job
Needed a van
I paid fuel
Hotel
No holiday pay
No sick pay
Time spent invoicing etc.

Needed all my own test gear and big power tools.

All for an extra couple of quid an hour.

That's just my experience with it all others may be different but sometimes its bet the devil you know with these things.
 
My first house was £175,000 in 2007 , sold it in 2016 for £315,000

which is bonkers

as I could not have afforded to buy my own house back at todays prices on my todays wages

Often ask that question when Boomers start getting all holier than thou about the 'feckless youth'.

You know the types, come over all Four Yorkshiremen about the sacrifices they had to make to get their first house and how today's youth spend all their money on iPhones and trainers.

Yes but could you do the same today? No, and neither can most of them.
 

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Green 2 Go Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses Heating 2 Go
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

Advert

YOUR Unread Posts

Daily, weekly or monthly email

Thread starter

cliffed

Arms
-
Joined
Location
Worcester
If you're a qualified, trainee, or retired electrician - Which country is it that your work will be / is / was aimed at?
United Kingdom
What type of forum member are you?
Electrical Engineer (Qualified)

Thread Information

Title
Wages we should be paid top rates
Prefix
N/A
Forum
UK Electrical Forum
Start date
Last reply date
Replies
100
Unsolved
--

Advert

Thread statistics

Created
cliffed,
Last reply from
JK-Electrical,
Replies
100
Views
10,365

Advert

Back
Top