What is your hourly rate as a self employed electrician? (2024-25)

[HappyHippyDad]

I think we need more votes.

Here is a (mean) average of the last few polls for hourly wage, for the last 3 years.

2022 - 2023 = £41.48
2023 - 2024 = £46.30
2024 - 2024 (so far, after 28 votes) = £40.46

@Yellowhammer bit odd to dislike this post? I can understand disliking many of my other posts, but this was a rather non descript one to dislike I'd be interested in your reasoning.

 

[Bluetit]

@Yellowhammer bit odd to dislike this post? I can understand disliking many of my other posts, but this was a rather non descript one to dislike I'd be interested in your reasoning.

It wasn't meant in that way, apologies I dislike the information contained in it, nothing against you. Hourly rates should be increasing, not just with inflation, but with the ever expanding skillset and knowledge required of the humble electrician.

Sadly, I know many other trades who are charging significantly more than this, and without sounding too up myself, trades that require much less investment in equipment and continued training! Not to suggest they should be on less, simply that sparks should be on more!

 

[littlespark]

We should all be on 1/7th more than we are….... just because the regs book is now 8 chapters long instead of 7

Go ask a plumber what an “island mode” is

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Update on averages...

The mean average hourly wage is now £46.94.
This is based on 31 votes.
A population of 31 is far too low for any meaningful stats, so just a bit of fun.
Would be nice to get it to 100 votes, but I think this is extremely unlikely.
I think last year's poll capped at around 55 votes.
Where's @Dustydazzler when you need him! He'd bump the average up

 

[mainline]

Go ask a plumber what an “island mode” is

He would ask a kitchen fitter.

 

[baldelectrician]

Within the last 2 days I've had 2 small quotes, charged at £75 first hour, then £50. The customers didn't even blink. Both jobs accepted.
I think half the time it's just changing our own mind set about what a high price is.

Have been toying with the idea of making the first hour £60 and hours after that £50

This gives a leeway to discount pensioners and regular clients to £50

 

[Jock from the north]

I don't think you can really run a so called successful business for less than £50 per hour and even that is treading a very thin margin. There are "plenty" of subby jobs out there within 1 hours commute of most places in the UK where rates of £25-£30 are realistic.
If someone can tell me they can cover the extra costs between being a subby with a basic set of tools and no need for a van/test equipment/nothing more advanced than a drill, plus they don't need scheme membership, - if you can cover that plus all the "free quotes/ insurances fuel/admin time" for £20 per hour then you are doing bloody well, I base the £20 per hour as you can easily get £25 within commutable distance then £45 is really right...so is £50 when you can get £30's within commutable distance.
I mean obviously there is more to life - some people such as myself enjoy total freedom and only do 2-3 days per week, But I achieve this by being expensive lol. But yeah some just love the freedom, Others can't stand working under any sort of supervision...again fair enough, But one must be careful not to actually end up effectively "paying" to be a sole trader. It's a fools game, Nobody will care when you have that bit of bad luck that kills your whole business stone dead, IMHO if you are charging <£45 you are an accident away from financial distress/ A couple of thefts away from the same, A slow paying customer away from similar. Businesses are actually "supposed" to make a profit AFTER wages and expenses are accounted for.

I beg to differ .there is more than one way to skin a cat .you charge 35 an hour but just add an extra day or even two to price .works out the same .I've lost count of how many sole traders charging ridiculous amounts per hour and then cant afford to pay there 28 grand tax bill in January and have to plead with hmrc for a payment plan.plus I have enough stress in my life without having vat receipts/returns to keep on top of .

 

[Markyd]

£80 first hour...£70 per hour after that, If full day 7 hrs £420

 

[mainline]

£80 first hour...£70 per hour after that, If full day 7 hrs £420

If I ever think of moving house, I know where I'll be going.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Bump....

 

[HappyHippyDad]

So far (population of 42), 25% of self employed electricians charge ≥ £60 p/hour.

65% charge somewhere between £30 and £59.

Bit too tired to work out the mean average, but it's somewhere around £42 p/hour

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Bumping this one again to try and get the population of voters over 50.

More statistics on the way, even though I expect I'm the only one enjoying them

 

[brianmoooore]

Eldest daughter has just announced she's planning a large extension on her house. She wants to get on with it quickly "so I can get one last job out of the old man before he croaks".
Pay £0.00 p/hour.

 

[oscar21]

Just voted, we charge at least £30 an hour now but nearly all our jobs are price work so we don't work for an hourly rate that often and we aim to come away with about £300 per day on price.

I remember back in about 2006 a condescending builder told me I was worth about £18/hr and he wouldn't pay any more, labourers were on about £10/hr back then. But putting those figures into an inflation calculator comes out at the hourly rate we charge today. We should be charging more.

I do live in the dark ages money wise though, I've just priced a re-wire up, 3 bed house with big extension on the side. In my mind approaching the house I thought oooh this will be about 5K, sitting down with the plans and spec sheet after talking with the client though I get it to £9000.... £9K, in my mind you could buy a new car for that.

 

[CoastGuardJon]

Just a bit of information for trade comparisons - our cars are serviced by a local independent mechanic who now charges us £120ph + VAT, which I consider excessive and more like a Main Dealer rate.

 

[UNG]

Just voted, we charge at least £30 an hour now but nearly all our jobs are price work so we don't work for an hourly rate that often and we aim to come away with about £300 per day on price.

Your day rate would suggest your hourly rate should be more like £50/hr

I remember back in about 2006 a condescending builder told me I was worth about £18/hr and he wouldn't pay any more, labourers were on about £10/hr back then. But putting those figures into an inflation calculator comes out at the hourly rate we charge today. We should be charging more.

Always been the case with builders who always seem to think they are worth more than they really are while screwing the trades

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Well, I don't think we'll get too many more votes so time for the results...

2022 - 2023 = £41.48
2023 - 2024 = £46.30

and the results for 2024 - 2025 = £45.70 p/hour (mean average hourly rate) - population 58