✅ Updated January 2026

Knowing what other electricians charge is only part of the picture. You also need to understand whether your rate actually covers your costs, super, tax and a decent income. Many sparkies undercharge by $20–$40/hour without realising it. Here's how to check your numbers.

📋 In This Article

  1. →Current market rates by state
  2. →Call-out fees explained
  3. →How to calculate your own rate
  4. →Marking up materials

Electrician Hourly Rates Australia 2026

StateResidential (per hour)Commercial (per hour)Emergency / After-Hours
NSW / ACT$95 – $130$110 – $160$180 – $250+
VIC$90 – $125$105 – $150$175 – $240+
QLD$90 – $120$100 – $145$165 – $220+
WA$100 – $140$115 – $165$190 – $260+
SA / TAS / NT$85 – $115$95 – $140$160 – $215+
Note: These are charge-out rates to the client — not take-home pay. As a sole trader, roughly 35–40% of this covers tax, GST, super and overhead before you get to actual income.

Call-Out Fees

Most electricians charge a separate call-out fee on top of hourly rate. This covers the time and cost of getting to the job regardless of how long the work takes.

  • Standard call-out: $80–$150 (metropolitan); $120–$200+ (regional)
  • After-hours / emergency: $150–$300+
  • Minimum charge: Many electricians apply a 1-hour minimum on top of call-out

Be transparent about your call-out fee upfront. Clients who feel surprised by it will leave bad reviews — clients who knew about it upfront rarely complain.

How to Calculate Your Own Rate

Working backwards from what you want to earn is the right approach. Here's a simple framework:

  1. Target annual income: What do you want to take home? Say $90,000.
  2. Add tax (approx 25–32%): $90,000 ÷ 0.72 = ~$125,000 you need to earn before tax
  3. Add super (11.5%): $125,000 × 1.115 = ~$139,375
  4. Add annual overhead: van costs ($8k), insurance ($3k), tools ($2k), software ($1.5k), licences ($500) = ~$15,000
  5. Total needed: ~$154,375 per year
  6. Billable hours: 52 weeks × 5 days × 8 hours = 2,080 hours. Minus holidays (80), sick days (40), admin (3 hrs/week = 156), non-billable travel (2 hrs/week = 104) = ~1,700 billable hours
  7. Minimum rate: $154,375 ÷ 1,700 = $91/hour minimum

That's your floor — not your market rate. If the market bears $120/hour, charge $120.

Use our free hourly rate calculator to run your own numbers.

Marking Up Materials

You should mark up materials supplied to clients — you're taking on the risk of sourcing, stocking, handling and warranting them.

  • Standard markup: 15–25% on electrical materials and fittings is common
  • Consumables (conduit, cable, clips): Many electricians build this into the job rate rather than itemising
  • High-value items (switchboards, hot water systems): 10–15% markup is typical — clients will Google the wholesale price on expensive items

Document your markup policy and apply it consistently. Inconsistent pricing causes disputes.

⚠️ General Information Only: Rates vary significantly by location, specialisation and business size. These figures are market observations only and are not financial advice.