Given the rapid rate of urbanization in Australia, as seen from the innumerable home and commercial establishments coming up, electricians in the country are always likely to find a job. It’s one of those perennial jobs that pay well, which is why it would be a good option as a means to earn a livelihood. This holds true especially if you possess the necessary training and technical skills for it.
If you are planning to start an electrical service business or become an independent electrician in Australia, you should know that it’s fraught with some risks. For example, your client suffers damage to their home or an injury due to your negligence. Such a situation can push your client to initiate a legal action against you seeking compensation for the loss. When that happens, you can be subject to a massive financial setback because lawsuits are generally quite expensive in Australia.
Your only resort in such a case would be a public liability insurance policy. This insurance policy is ideal for businesses because it provides coverage for various legal expenses and compensation costs arising from a lawsuit from a client. To know more about public liability insurance and how to get one for your electrical service business, check this article.
Your job as an electrician
As a professional electrician, you will be working with different residential and commercial establishments. Your primary job will be to look into various electrical systems, such as lighting, circuiting, security, and power distribution. Repairing them to maintain their optimal functionality. Both residential and commercial establishments require the expertise of electricians to keep the household and organization running by preventing electrical glitches.
The job performed by electricians requires good judgment and meticulous attention to finer details. More often than not, they are required to have a formal degree in electrical engineering or a similar training before they can plunge into the real-world scenario. Some organizations and states in Australia require electricians to have a license, which is granted basis for the training they have undergone.
In short, the typical job role of electricians includes the following:
- Troubleshooting, repairing and maintaining power generation and distribution systems in various establishments.
- Monitoring electrical schematics.
- Interpreting and setting power factor and calculations.
- Performing power insulation tests and daily inspection of electrical equipment and appliances.
Salary of an electrician in Australia
Now that you have understood the importance of electricians for various establishments and the kind of jobs they perform, it’s now time to throw light on their earnings. Electricians in different cities and provinces in Australia earn different average salaries.
As per data collected for the year 2019-20, the average salary earned by an electrician in Australia is AUD$46.75 per hour, which is somewhere close to AUD$83,000 per year. Believe it or not, this salary figure exceeds that of the salary earned by other professionals, including bricklayers, carpenters and plumbers.
Entry-level electricians in Australia make at least AUD$55,000 per year, while that earned by experienced electricians can go up to AUD $138,499 per year. For those working for specialised electrical service companies, they are also entitled to bonuses, commissions and profit-sharing. Much of their earnings also depends on the job title they hold and the region where they operate.
In Melbourne, the average base salary for electricians is AUD$5,116 per month. In Sydney (New South Wales), licensed electricians make somewhere between $30 and $40 per hour, while fire and maintenance electricians make somewhere between $40 and $45 per hour.
In Melbourne, the annual earnings of a telecommunication electrician is between $85,000 and $110,000, of lighting electricians is between $90,000 and $110,000 and of a security grade electrician is $35 and $45 per hour.
In Gold Coast (Queensland), the wage of a domestic and commercial electrician is somewhere in the range of $30 to $35 per hour. In South Australia and Adelaide, an industrial electrician can make somewhere between $60,000 and $80,000 per year.
Bottom line
Whether you are a self-employed or company-employed electrician, you can make good money in the country. Also, the Australian Government does provide opportunities to expand your electrical service business through various contracts with the country’s energy and construction sectors. No matter what, electricians in Australia are better off than many other trades, experiencing a tremendous earning potential, along with a good work–life balance.