Electrician Salary UK 2025/26: Median Pay, Regional Differences and Take-Home

Electrician Salary UK: What the Official Data Shows

Understanding the electrician salary landscape is essential whether you are entering the trade, negotiating a pay rise, or comparing job offers. The most authoritative source for employee earnings in the UK is the Office for National Statistics' Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). The 2025 provisional release provides a detailed picture of what electricians and electrical fitters actually earn.

Median and Mean Electrician Pay

For the occupation group "Electricians and electrical fitters" (SOC 5241), the median gross annual salary stands at £39,187. This means half of all electricians in employee jobs earn less than this figure and half earn more. The mean (average) salary is £40,108, which is slightly higher because a relatively small number of very high earners pull the average upward. When comparing job offers, the median is often a more reliable benchmark than the mean.

For full-time electricians specifically, the median rises to £39,647 per year. Hourly pay (excluding overtime) shows a median of £19.19 and a mean of £19.72.

The Full Pay Distribution

Looking at the entire pay range gives a clearer picture of career progression. The lower quartile (25th percentile) is £30,899, meaning a quarter of electricians earn below this. The upper quartile (75th percentile) is £48,416, so a quarter earn above that. The top 10% of earners take home £57,280 or more, while the bottom 10% earn £23,616 or less. These figures highlight that experience, specialism, and location can significantly affect your electrician salary.

Regional Differences

Where you work matters. The ONS ASHE data reveals clear regional variations:

• South East: £42,431 (median)
• Yorkshire and The Humber: £41,620
• North West: £41,401
• West Midlands: £39,921
• East Midlands: £39,842
• London: £39,267
• Scotland: £37,928
• East of England: £37,539
• South West: £36,270
• Wales: £34,719

London's median is close to the national average, but the cost of living there is substantially higher. The South East offers the highest median pay, while Wales and the South West tend to be lower. Scotland's median is slightly below the UK figure, but remember that Scotland has different Income Tax bands, which can affect take-home pay.

Hourly Rates and the National Living Wage

The median hourly rate for electricians is £19.19, well above the National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour (for employees aged 21 and over, from April 2025). Even the lowest-paid 10% of electricians earn £12.31 per hour, which is just above the NLW. This indicates that the trade offers a clear premium over minimum wage roles.

Take-Home Pay: What You Actually Receive

Gross salary is only part of the story. On the median electrician salary of £39,187, using 2026/27 tax rates for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (assuming no pension contributions or student loan repayments), the estimated take-home pay is:

• Monthly: £2,645
• Annually: £31,734
• Income Tax: £5,323
• National Insurance: £2,129

If you work in Scotland, the Income Tax bands are different, so your take-home may vary slightly. Always check the latest HMRC and Scottish Government rates when calculating net pay.

How Electrician Pay Compares to UK Averages

For context, the UK median full-time gross annual pay across all occupations is approximately £39,039 (ONS ASHE 2025). The electrician median of £39,187 is almost exactly in line with the national median for full-time workers. However, electricians have a narrower pay spread than many professions, with strong earnings potential for those who specialise or move into supervisory roles.

Using This Data in Job Negotiations

When you receive a job offer, compare the proposed salary against the median for your region and experience level. If you are in the South East and have several years' experience, an offer below £42,000 may be worth questioning. Conversely, an entry-level role in Wales might reasonably start closer to the lower quartile of £30,899. Remember that overtime, call-out allowances, and benefits can significantly boost total compensation.

For more context on how electrician pay fits into the wider UK earnings landscape, visit our [UK Average Salary](/