Plumbers, electricians Australia’s richest tradies, charging more than the average lawyer
TRADIES in some sectors are charging double that of lawyers, new figures show. Find out how your hourly pay rate compares to the average sparky, chippie or plumber.
PLUMBERS and electricians are Australia’s richest tradies, charging more than double what the average lawyer earns.
National figures from job quote website serviceseeking.com.au reveal the average plumber charges $78.40 an hour, up 1.9 per cent on last year, and the average electrician charges $74.61 an hour, up 4 per cent.
The average Australian lawyer, by comparison, earns $37 an hour, according to PayScale.
(That figure may seem low, given the high wages commanded by barristers, but the reality is many lawyers work long hours for not so fantastic pay.)
ServiceSeeking.com.au chief executive Jeremy Levitt says although tradies usually have expenses such as insurance come out of their hourly rate, skilled tradies can earn a fortune.
“Pick (a trade) where you need a license and the work is complex,” he says.
“Relatively unskilled trades like house painting and gardening can make you a steady income but if you want to be rich, get a license and become a plumber or electrician.”
Across all industries, the average tradie earns $60.88 an hour, a slight increase of 0.3 per cent on last year.
At a state level, NSW concreters earn the most, charging $88.71 an hour.
They are followed by WA plumbers at $87.67 an hour and WA electricians at $87.33.
NSW builders have enjoyed the largest jump in earnings, increasing 27.7 per cent on last year to reach $77.85 an hour.
“Going out to WA is still a good idea if you are a tradesman,” Levitt says.
“Even though the mining boom has cooled, tradesmen are still in high demand relative to supply.
“If you are a house builder in Sydney, you are in a prime position to make a fortune. House owners are very confident about return on investment putting money into their property so there is a lot of work going on in the renovation market.”
In Queensland, building and renovations tradespeople charge on average $55.37 an hour.
Alps Constructions director and licensed builder Paul Gueniat says he often has to hire other tradespeople for his projects and the prices can be “crazy”.
“Some ask for $45 an hour where 20 years ago it was $20 an hour,” he says.
“It feels like everyone is putting prices up all the time.”
The rich list: who charges what
Building & Renovations: $66.17
Carpentry: $58.55
Concreting: $66.37
Electricians: $74.61
Flooring: $42.54
Landscaping: $67.01
Painting: $42.18
Plastering: $48.15
Plumbing: $78.40
Tiling & Paving: $43.14
Source: serviceseeking.com.au
For more employment news, read the CareerOne section in Saturday’s News Corp Australia metropolitan newspapers.
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