How Much Money Do Australian Electricians Make?

G'day! In this video I break down different Electrician Wages in Australia + what I earn as a Sparky
🔗ETU WAGES & ALLOWANCES
www.etuvic.com.au/ETUV/Your_U...
🔗 FAIR WORK AWARD
www.fairwork.gov.au/employmen...
🔗 WHY YOUR APPRENTICESHIP SUCKS
• Why Your Apprenticeshi...
⏳ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:53 Union Wages
02:30 My Wage
04:09 Average Australian Wage
04:29 My Goals as a Sparky
05:17 My Wage as an Apprentice
05:50 Fair Work Electrical Award Wage
06:41 Is it Worth Being an Electrician?
07:11 Outro
⚠️ WARNING
Do not attempt DIY Electrical work! All activities in this video have been performed by a Licensed Electrician for educational and entertainment purposes only. All work is done at your own risk. Corey Bruhn will not accept responsibility or liability, for any loss, damage, injury or negligence. Please consult a Registered Electrical Contractor or Electrical Inspector prior to dealing with any electrical installations. For more information visit: esv.vic.gov.au/DDIY

[@ClimateAdaptation]

Can't wait to watch all your videos

[@hayki5355]

Thanks for sharing mate ⚡️

[@_mvzza]

Awesome video mate, very informative for those of us across the ditch thinking of making the jump.

[@slump8030]

love this guy he knows the ways

[@TradifyHQ]

Be good to chat when you do start your small business! The best of luck.

[@coreybruhn]

Definitely keen to set myself up with Tradify when I register my ABN next month. The company I work for uses simpro and it's not very good

[@theforexers]

I absolutely love your videos. Do general electricians in Au are supposed to fix and repair the electric towers and main lines on the road?

[@moony2703]

I agree, I think it’s going to be less tech taking over electrical jobs and more tech increasing the need for electrical jobs considering everything is going electric given home batteries and electric car chargers etc. is the new thing for solar installers to wrap their heads around, if they haven’t already. Thanks for the video! And given what’s going on with the gig economy and watching the horror show in America then the issues with delivery riders in Australia totally on board with the idea of supporting unions and also permanent work as well.

[@coreybruhn]

Glad you're on the same page. Thanks for the great comment!

[@mtalha886]

Hy I am from Pakistan and I am a student Can I work in Australia as a electrician How can I find a job in Australia as a electrician or helper electric Please guide me

[@hughgale16]

Perfect, i being watching Americans videos and I didnt even know, now wathcing your Video it makes much more sense. Cheers Mate.

[@SupraWorks]

Hey bro! I’m a 4.5 year in California, ibew union, was wondering if you know anything about transferring over to Australia and my stats wouldn’t change? Thanks! I’ve always wanted to work in australia

[@twaltxn]

thinking about moving to aus to work. how easy is it for a qualified spark in the uk to work in aus? would you say it’s worth it

[@itolgold4065]

Hello Corry, any advise for me who wants to take practical assessment stage 3 for general eletrician (341111). Hopefully next month.

[@Goabnb94]

Cries in NZ standard wages for sparkies. Your 4th year apprentices get more than a lot of registered contractors.

[@travistremlett4547]

Sparkies in NZ get paid more than $34.94 what are you talking about lol.

[@djfernando16]

Damn, I started on $38 as excavator driver in sydney, then moved to $45 on abn for a hire company. All within 1 year. I was thinking of switching trades, but after your video I feel discouraged.

[@coreybruhn]

Fair enough mate, there's definitely potential to earn the big bucks as a sparky but you've gotta put in the time

[@pavelsidor]

Don’t forget cashies mate 😂

[@zacariusfranklin2727]

Hey corey i wanna start a pre apprenticeship but my school doesn't have tafe or trade im 15 years old 16 next year do you know how i can start an apprenticeship

[@yes-vy6bn]

do you know if you can get an apprentice job a few months before the cert 3 tafe course starts or do you have to wait until the course starts to start working?

[@coreybruhn]

You'll be employed at your company first and then you'll be signed up with an apprenticeship network provider and start your cert 3. So yeah don't worry about looking at cert 3 TAFE courses, that'll all be sorted sometime after you start your job

[@pansoup_m4551]

My cousin was actually on 28$ an hour he was at least 3 years out of his apprenticeship after hearing that he must of been a shabby sparky I’m on $28 as a 2nd year…

[@ashorodisho8609]

Apprentice wages here in NSW are definitely waaaay lower than Vic I didn’t even scratch 25/hr until 4th year , and that was me making a deal with my boss over a pay rise.

[@chipen1788]

how much do you get paid now?

[@seanhasler6173]

That's union 4th award is lik 24 an hour

[@pavelsidor]

Hey Corey, I’m probably your constant commentator on here 🤣 What’s your advice on how to get into a union apprenticeship in QLD? Any pointers? I prefer Union as I think it would be easier to go to residential after, but not vice versa, what’s your take? Thanks, Sid

[@coreybruhn]

Hey again mate! Guys I know who are working in the metro tunnel (union work) here in Melbourne got the job through connections. You can always try calling the union in your state to see if you can get any work but other than that it really is who you know

[@pavelsidor]

@@coreybruhn It’s true, most of the time it’s not what you know what who you know 😆 Gotta keep calling around, I finish my cert II soon but I want to do Union work. Thanks for the quick reply👌

[@pavelsidor]

@@coreybruhn Got an interview at “Powerfactor” in Brisbane which do commercial and mainly office fit outs, wish me luck! If I get this apprenticeship I’m gonna be your first alumni 🤣

[@coreybruhn]

@@pavelsidor haha good luck mate! Hope ya land the apprenticeship

[@NJ-500]

Most the electricians I've spoken to say that doing your apprenticeship in resi is better because youre constantly doing different things, compared to commercial where you repeat the same thing over and over. So you learn more in resi. But i reckon both are great. @@pavelsidor

[@cesarangulo9305]

What kind of certificate do I have to study?

[@07ghost39]

Hi Corey, just wondering if you know the best way to get into a union as a 3rd year apprentice here in Melbourne. Thank you

[@coreybruhn]

To get your foot in the door it really is who you know. I don't work for a union mob but that's how mates I know got in. Sorry I couldn't give ya a better answer

[@kennygeoffrey]

hi great vid.. im base in auck nz. and my cousing thinkn about going to ozzie soon jan... hes been a nz qualifd sparky for 11 years now .. .just asking how much roughly can he get over there.. i got a mate that got only $42ph over there with 5 year exp.. atm its quite easy to get $ 40 per hour in new zealand this is all wages.... paye.... tax including etcc

[@coreybruhn]

He'd be earning as much as any other sparky here in Australia + we follow the same wiring rules so I can't imagine it being that hard for him to pick up a job. $40 seems pretty similar here but considering his got 11 years experience within the trade I'd say he'd be able to negotiate a lot higher

[@user-zu3dl3cw4l]

Hey mate. How does it work with EBAs? If I join the ETU Victoria and can secure a job with one of the companies listed on their website, does this mean they have an EBA agreement and I'm guaranteed to be paid those good qualified rates? Or are those rates only available when working on particular union sites?

[@NJ-500]

Yea, I am a bit confused about that, I thought as soon as the company signed an EBA they are considered a union company, when I was working as an apprentice plumber my company signed an EBA, and they said "everyone is getting a pay raise, because we are a union company now". I do think there is a difference of allowances between the really big union jobs, compared to the smaller ones. You get paid more for the sky scrapers in the city vs a smaller school, but theyre both considered union. I could be wrong though

[@Noelzy_02]

Corey mate First up great video. This might be a bit long winded and not really the place to state this so apologies for that, I have a couple of questions for you and a summary of my experience currently being an apprentice. At the moment im a third year electrician that started out in an industrial maintenance roll that mostly specialised in overhead, monorail and jib cranes, im about to start a new job in a similar roll at a different company with a lot more opportunity for career development. My question for you is regarding your rates as an apprentice, When you did your apprenticeship were you with a group training organisation? If you were in a group training organisation what were your thoughts on the idea of GTOs and how they operate? As for my experience with GTOs I think they are bullshit, for a bit of context and without naming names. My first placement was in a foundry in South Australia overall the place was really good to learn from, it had loads of opportunity to be a great environment for an apprentice to learn in and great tradesmen to learn from my first year and a half were quite good there. However being an apprentice you obviously get the jobs that the tradesmen do not want to do as usually they are quite basic, mundane or repetitive, I understand that but being an apprentice you still need to learn the trade you are in and especially being a sparky you need to know how to do jobs safely to prevent injury to yourself and others. The jobs I would be given during my first and second year really did not teach me much I felt more as if I was cheap labour. I did what I was told to do by my GTO if I had any concerns and spoke to my ETC (person who manages me while at the host company) I contacted them via email and found they were on leave so the email was forwarded to another person taking their place. This person spoke to me, agreed with my concerns saying they were valid and I had reason to be concerned they said they will sort it out with the host company and get back to me within a week or so. Two weeks go by and I heard nothing, no change in the jobs I was getting at the Host company and no response from the ETC. So I ask again and I get "you are getting adequate training nothing to be worried about". Which was definitely not the case as at that point I wouldn't have put in more than 10 GPOs or lights. I kept asking for more experience from both the Host and my GTO even asking to move Hosts but nothing ever changed. So I took it into my own hands and started looking for work elsewhere, found a job elsewhere but unfortunately still through the GTO as if I was to leave the GTO and go direct with this new company they would have to buy me out from them for ~$6k. I think the biggest problem I have with GTOs is they say and try emphasise that they are for the apprentice and will look after you but it's so clearly not like that at all, they are just money focused. My rate as a first year apprentice was $11.50/h second year was $14.70 and now third year $18.90. Meanwhile the host company were paying approximately double those rates for the respective years. I don't see why we need those "middlemen" when doing apprenticeships they are profiting of the apprentice and provide little to no assistance when its actually needed, the only thing I can actually say is good is the fact out PPE is supplied quite regularly but that's a pretty basic requirement of any employer. And they provide a little bit of job security if the host company was to go out of business for whatever reason. If I had of known this before I started my apprenticeship I would have never gone with a GTO and gone direct instead, that's why I'm sharing this I don't want any other young blokes going through a similar thing that happened to me but its going to be hard, especially because in SA most of the people looking for apprentices go through GTOs as far as I can tell. anyways thats enough of me ranting, hope you have a great day Noelzy

[@coreybruhn]

Sounds really frustrating mate, appreciate you giving a heads up to others 👍 I've only worked with one apprentice before who was a part of a GTO and this was when I was doing labour hire for an optic fibre mob (this was before I started my own electrical apprenticeship). I didn't go down that path because of similar experiences he went through as you so I decided to apply direct to companies during my pre-apprenticeship and that's how I started mine. The company I started my apprenticeship at paid the minimum award as well so going direct doesn't automatically mean more money, however they were a shit company that mistreated employees so I jumped ship to the company I'm still working for now (which did pay me more as an apprentice). In terms of you not learning enough, yeah that's rough man and I don't really have any advice as I haven't gone through a GTO. Also the new company has to buy you out for 6k? What's that all about

[@davidlp3019]

My old man is coming up to retirement but he has been a sparky here in Sydney for over 40 years. Even at 60 he is constantly offered work on linkedin and building sites for $60-100/hr. There is a MASSIVE shortage of decent sparkies out there. Ones who are willing to learn or are motivated will have no issue. Crazy good money but he doesn't take them as he's happy at his current job seeing as he's coming up to retirement. Building site word is hard at his age. He is not part of the union either. I'm doing IT/Comp Sci at uni and enjoy it and will never be out of a job either but I still have mad respect for my mates becoming sparkies :)

[@marianoaso3813]

Hey! My oldman's a Sparky too. And I worked with him for a couple of years. My girlfriend's planning a trip to Australia on a WH visa and plans to stay there and I like the idea. We're both from Argentina. Do you think being an experienced immigrant sparky is good way of finding a good job quickly? We are planning on going to Melbourne to stay there long term, don't mind the weather.

[@luka3174]

Fair bit of competition in computer science right? Bit worried that we might be overeducating in some stem fields, and the possibility of off-shorement.

[@davidlp3019]

@@luka3174 If you're willing to learn mate there is plenty of work out there for IT. I got a job through my final project at uni as a software developer in Wollongong. Been learning alot there. Like anything getting that intial experience is the hardest. I've also had a few job offers through linkedin. The outsourcing thing does happen but there is still lots of demand for Australians to develop quality software rather than paying a bunch of indians peanuts and getting monkeys.

[@psilo8702]

@@davidlp3019 hi buddy are you not worried about LLM's automating software development? maybe not versions available today but maybe in another 10 years of refinement and training? I think you will just be able to talk to it(voice recognition) what you want and I see no reason it wont be able to piece things together and even explain in detail to you how the software works. thoughts about this? regards, from Perth WA.

[@niko1668]

@@marianoaso3813 hola hermano, cómo te fue ? Llego con la WH el 30 de noviembre. También me gustaría apuntar a electrónica y electricidad. Y sacar los tickets para maquinaria. Cómo están esos rubros ahora ? Desde ya muchas gracias

[@ntuthukomkhize5555]

Is it possible to get a job if you are a foreigner?

[@visionarystyle_]

Hi Corey thanks for all the tips! Im looking to start my pre apprenticeship soon. Do you know how much I should be expecting pay wise for a first year pre app at 30yrs old in metro Melbourne?

[@coreybruhn]

No worries! $21.80 is the minimum hourly award for adult 1st year apprentices but it really depends on the company you work for

[@Jay-fp8iy]

If you are mature age try to find a union gig. You'll be earning a living wage during your apprenticeship if you have kids/wife/mortgage

[@gromkour5341]

@@coreybruhnmy mate is 21 and it’s getting paid roughly 15$ an hour 💀 he’s a mechanic

[@NJ-500]

Its not all about pay though, If he loves his job then 16 is fine.@@gromkour5341

[@shiamjad]

hi Corey... i am moving to Australia in 3 months time. Any youtube channels from Australia to learn how Aussie electrical system is wired and works??? i am fully qualified Electrician in UK

[@samueldiaz3018]

Very useful information for foreigners who want to be an electrician in Australia. Do you recommend any trade school in Perth?

[@coreybruhn]

Sorry bro I'm from Melbourne so only know trade schools here

[@billyhammertime]

College of electrical training (CET) in Joondalup

[@maxsail7609]

I've worked in construction for 5 years but no sparkie experience. Is a higher starting wage as an first year apprentice negotiable given that's a massive pay cut for me and I have past construction experience?

[@haydndouglas1732]

It depends on the company aome pay better than others

[@coreybruhn]

Yeah depends on the company, I'm sure you'd be able to negotiate

[@mothkurirao2969]

Sir please let me know which visa is good for me in Australia good technical College information i want sir how to join in college my age 38 years please help me sir

[@davidmarjason4222]

We don’t even have unions anymore in the Uk because some prime minister got rid of it and now it’s harder for us 💀

[@coreybruhn]

Damn rip

[@abdulkareemsayaf4331]

Hello, how are you. I am Abdul Kareem I am living in Sunshine 3020 VIC. I am electrical Engineer. I have 5 month experience in electrician at Pakistan. I am basically from Pakistan. Here I am doing Master of Engineering from Deakin University. I want to learn Electrician. Please can you help what I am doing. Mean how to learn and start job at sparky

[@michaeltyers7336]

I've tried to get an electrical apprenticeship multiple times in my life and never had any interest. What's the secret?

[@purna2640]

I.m electrician from Bali ... Greeting from bali

[@factvilla123]

How much can we earn from our own buisness please reply 😊.

[@bonaminhrasmey42]

😢I completed my pre apprenticeship but I didn't get the sponsorship so, I wasted 2 years without having a job.😊

[@jimmyross9994]

Is it possible for someone from the states in the Ibew move to Australia and join the etu?

[@coreybruhn]

I don't see why not! Not sure what the process for it is though

[@jimmyross9994]

@@coreybruhn good to know thank you; have been trying to find information online and can’t it’s weird

[@Jackirrr]

I’m a 4th sparky in Melbourne nearly finish my apprenticeship And on 20$ a hour 😢😢

[@coreybruhn]

What kinda work do you do mate?

[@Jackirrr]

Commercial shop office fit out

[@gubourn]

Whaaat

[@praneshmandugulosu5876]

Hey, can international students join ETU. I have around 5 years experience as electrical engineer in a motor manufacturing industry at India

[@ezranathanael9566]

Only Australian residents/ Permanent Resident

[@remydoeshussain7836]

Hey Corey I'm here in Melbourne too. I'm 25 thinking of becoming an electrician. Am I too old?

[@haydndouglas1732]

No ofcourse not

[@coreybruhn]

Nah mate, another bloke at the company I work for is an apprentice in his 30s

[@PrashanthC21797]

Hey Corey, Im 25 and all I know is factory work with no sparky experience. Is it too late for me to start being a sparky ? And what do you think about renewable energy type of work like solar panelling ?

[@alexrobertson232]

I'm a 2nd year Sparky apprentice, I started at 31 years old, so just go for it mate ! Never too late.

[@PrashanthC21797]

@@alexrobertson232 thank you mate, legend. Just wanted to ask you also, did you have any experience with tools or doing handyman things beforehand ?

[@ActuallyDarcy]

It's not too late at all. A pre apprenticeship will help, then call up as many electricians as you can and ask around for an apprenticeship. It'll be harder for you considering you're a mature age apprentice (more money), but there's definitely a shortage at the moment My advice would be to try for commercial or industrial, that's what the money and real knowledge is. 6 months in domestic would teach you how to be quick though There's always group hire places like NECA, you work for them and they send you out to different sites, you'll get a variety of experience that way

[@ActuallyDarcy]

Solar is fine but you'll quickly hit a ceiling in terms of what you can learn. A lot of solar mobs out there don't teach their apprentices any wiring or technical stuff, they just expect you to pass panels up to someone else for 4 years. If you do it, don't do it for more than a year, you won't learn anything more from it

[@PrashanthC21797]

@@ActuallyDarcy you’re an legend mate thank you. Appreciate you taking the time out to write this. Bless 🙏🏽

[@mrseanpride6449]

There’s definitely licensed sparkies that are on around $30 they are usually residential only.

[@coreybruhn]

I'd be curious as to why they stay on that wage when there's much better out there, even within residential

[@kennygeoffrey]

@@coreybruhn thats the same in nz as well i see many people fresh qualifed $27 then boom next company $35 - 37 min easy... wages

[@cattywool1]

​@@coreybruhn Hey I am Jamaican and I am a certified trade school electrician. If I have my electrical license here in Jamaica can I convert it if I immigrate to Australia. I am also a certified trade school photovoltic / solar installer. I have an NVQ-jamaica trade school cert in both level 2 in electrical and level 4 in solar.

[@cattywool1]

​ i am also a CCTV technician. I for the police department in Jamaica. I am a police officer doing electrical and CCTV work for the police force here.

[@pinakdas6783]

Electrician trade course is best for Pr😊

[@Goswami_PK]

How much is hourly pay 🙂 ?

[@user-fo3ss2mn7z]

Hello

[@braydenc3001]

So just simply sign up, join the union & get a better pay? Sounds too easy an simple? How much is union fees?

[@coreybruhn]

Haha that's not what I said, landing a union job isn't that simple as you usually need to know someone to get you in. However any apprentice/sparky can sign up to be a union member, I pay about $15 bucks a week as an A-grade which I claim as a deduction during tax time

[@braydenc3001]

@@coreybruhn thanks! Cleared that up, knew that was too easy - Im interested in being a sparky but I certainly don’t want to get stuck doing solar in an out everyday, that would be repetitive… I want something different everyday from simple light switches, tv antennas anything!!! Guess it all depends were your hired at right?

[@coreybruhn]

@@braydenc3001 Yeah mate, solar's not a bad gig if you show that you're keen to do more than just lift panels all day but yeah it does depend on the company

[@zjw1835]

well，here is a question,as a Chinese citizen i am.how do i become an electrician in Australia?how can i apply for the course of power engineering and get a pr?

[@abdulkareemsayaf4331]

please give me reply I am waiting

[@yusufanarwala4784]

Hi bro, I am an electrician and I will come to Australia very soon to work as electrician so will you tell me that how much can electrician earn when come from different country to Australia as a electrician, I mean the minimum wage ?

[@coreybruhn]

Not too sure mate, I've never met a sparky from another country

[@SahilKhan-sv7bz]

I'm electrician in India I need job

[@mrbigb12]

Your employer has looked after you well

[@user-zm3dm4oj7v]

Hi I’m and Irish lad and I’m a qualified electrician in the uk, could I work as an electrician in Australia as I’m moving over in October cheers

[@yngthrnz8250]

18.99 first year? in WA its only 14 an hour for a first year

[@coreybruhn]

That's union rates, 14 bucks is the same here in VIC for non-union

[@JT-xt8bh]

@UK Electricians PLEASE think very carefully about moving to Australia especially if you are bringing family!!! Don't get sucked in by the lifestyle, aussies work long hours and travel quite a bit each day just to get work through horrendous traffic congestion, also if you do get to the popular beaches you'll que for a parking spot and get charged for the pleasure. The place was probably great 20 + years ago but now its simply unaffordable and the cost of living is crippling, even the locals struggle for disgusting rental properties and many end up homeless living in tents and cars (Yes Its True), the Government love newbies coming in as they make a lot of money through visas and taxes. You will struggle to get an aussie electrical licence (a lot of dollars and time studying) and be prepared to be exploited by bosses paying poor wages (you really are just a number to them). Be aware of many so called electrical colleges who promise you qualifications to get a licence but they are simply worthless pieces of paper, expect to pay any where from $10K - $20K depending on the college and state, you will end up chasing them to as they are very slow in keeping you updated. I have met many UK/Irish sparkys and many regret moving to Australia as most of their wages are spent on living cost especially high rents and many end up returning home within 6 - 12 months broke and owing money to family back home. You will probably get paid casual rates, no holiday pay etc, if you can afford to come to Australia please have a plan b and extra money for emergencies as you will probably need it and do your research.

[@jack12343]

bahahaha are you suggesting that you'd be better of being a sparky in the UK? Only Australians struggle with the cost of living in Australia. Everyone other nation knows how to spend less than they earn and save.

[@JT-xt8bh]

@@jack12343 you obviously can’t read kid.

[@ScooterProductions96]

Not really good money tbh

[@subhankarsamanta1408]

Please help me in India ❤️ West Bengal Kolkata 🔥 ✨ iam a eletriction help me yours companies join

[@alvinkoshy]

Hi Corey is there a way I can reach out to you , I am based out in dubai and am coming in class 189 visa would like to know how I can work on getting my electro tech lvl 3 working at the same time, can I reach out to you via email

[@coreybruhn]

Hey mate, I'm not gonna be much help as I don't know the full process for people living outside of Australia but this website should help pathwaytoaus.com/blog/how-to-work-as-an-electrician-in-australia/

[@stonedsloth6367]

stay in your country

[@alvinkoshy]

@@stonedsloth6367 you are welcome to Dubai anytime