What boosts an electricians earning in 2023

Electricians earn $156,000 a year, that is the title that caught my eye.

Six times more than the average wage and more than the prime minister that's £150k a year.

I can confidently say I'm nowhere near earning 150k a year!

So I dived in to see if I'm doing something wrong and I should be changing 5 times more than what I do at the moment.

Then again how would you get away with charging 5x what you already do!

There has got to be a catch somewhere along the line.

But what is it?

Tool box talk for electricians helping electricians reduce stress, gain back time and earn more money.

Hello and welcome back once again to toolbox talk for electricians, im your host Ben poulter.

This podcast was inspired by an article in a national newspaper in the UK.

Now I don't really believe everything I read in the news papers, but im assuming they do some sort of research.

So when I see a title saying “Electricians earning £156,000 a year - It caught my eye.

It goes on to say that electricians are earning £3000 a week in London, of course that ads up. But realistically who works every week of the year?

Especially if you're earning that amount of money - you're gonna take a holiday a few times a year on that amount.

The reason for Electricians earning this amount of money is because qualified electricians are in short supply.

There are a few contributing factors that have helped electricians be able to charge this much.

The amount of work that has been carried out in the past by cowboy builders. Grenfell tower for example.

There has been a massive investigation into how that went up in flames. Its contractors cut corners to save money.

Then in time it comes back on them when it goes up in smoke.

Its the same all over the world.

There will be a project that is put out to tender for big contractors, electrical companies will give quotes and estimates to do the work.

The people in the office don't really look at the companies history of the work they have done or the reputation they have within the industry.

They look at the figure at the bottom of the page and usually go for the cheapest to save as much money as possible, that makes them look brilliant to their boss.

You must have seen all the new build houses going up, with people being employed to snag before handover.

They are a mess!

Not just electrical, brickwork, plumbing and carpentry.

It's all done to a standard where it's on the wall and maybe just works, no one cares how long for or if it's safe.

With large contactors it's usually the case they use sub contractors to do the work.

If you have ever worked on a site subbing, you know that subcontractors come and go every week.

There is no pride taken in the work, Subbies are given a price to get the work done and get out of there.

I do know that not every site is like this, I have friends who work on site for months if not years, they are there until the job is done.

But the few good tradesmen can't always keep an eye on the cowboys who turn up to work. It's all a race against time and if the Electrician throws in the 1st fix, the plumber is under pressure to get their pipes in and the plasterers and waiting behind them to board straight away.

It's all done so fast that the mistakes pile up and at the end of the project it looks a mess.

This is where qualified electricians come into it. Independent smaller companies are asked to do the final testing.

More than likely because the company who did the install either doesn't know how to test or can't, because they are not actually qualified.

And if any electrician is going to put their name to a job it needs to be tip top!

After all, the reason the qualified electrician has been called in is to get the property signed off.

If anything goes wrong in the future, the electrician who tested the install and signed it off is going to be responsible.

Not the person who installed the cables and 2nd fixed it all, their job is done.

They were paid £1000 for 1st fix and £1000 for 2nd fix.

In my eyes it is a dirt cheap job for any electrician.

This is what happens, I have quoted to wire 2 x new builds before.

Downlights, underfloor heating - the lot.

There were 2 other electricians who were £1000 cheaper than me.

I was friends with the builder and he wanted me to match the other quote. I really didn't see how I could earn more money elsewhere.

But when the project was completed and signed off I was asked to fix a few faults. Just simple little things like the lights not switching properly and adding an extra socket that was forgotten.

Again the electrician got in there did their bit and went, not interested to come back for small issues to make it all spot on.

I think this is why qualified electricians are earning good money, maybe not £156,000 a year but charging a rate that is suited for the skills they have learnt.

If you want me to sign off an install I'm gonna need to take that install apart bit by bit and make sure it's 1000% if I'm putting my name to it, and that's going to cost.

With all the modern tech that need transformers, drivers or chargers on the market, there is always a cheaper alternative on amazon.

People assume because its on amazon, its good quality.

Yet there are many examples of chargers catching fire.

Iphone chargers, electric scooter chargers, led drivers for the lights.

The electrical industry is trying to resolve this issue by making the original install safer with RCD, RCBO, AFDD and serge protection.

But they all come at a cost, when the customer is offered an alternative option that will save them £20 they go for it, let alone an option that will save them £500.

It's down to us as the electrician to explain WHY you're installing AFDD in a property for £100 each.

It may not be regulation in all domestic properties at the moment in 2023, but you can count on it happening on day.

There are tradespeople in the industry who do the bare minimum to get the job done and working on the day.

Make it work, get paid and more on to the next.

If the customer has a problem the next day, they don't answer the phone.

I know this because I have met so many customers who tell me the same story.

It's not a way to run or grow a business.

Customers are the lifeline of any business.

Customers pay you and also tell family and friends about the work you did for them.

This way your hourly rate as an electrician will only go up. The more work you do the more customers you get that will keep your number.

They call you their Electrician and only use you!

For 1 reason, they trust you to do a good job. There are so many cowboy builders and electricians out there who are in it for the quick money.

Cash is King, get paid the same day and down the pub.

People like this I don't see lasting running their own business, they will be back on the dole or creating a CV to send out to sooner or later.

Doing it properly on the other hand will

keep you and your business making money in the future, as the electrical trade is short for good electricians.

The future can only get better and better for qualified decent electricians.

This goes for any trade.

Survival of the fittest. Don't lower yourself to the rat race to the bottom in competing with a quoting.

Take the steps to build a long lasting business that will enable you to sit back and have a day off here and there when it gets quiet, because if you listen to the podcast, with all the tips I have dont over the year

Those days don't really come that often!

Have a fantastic day and I will speak to you again soon.