On this page
Contents
Quick answer: The legal floor for a UK electrician apprentice from April 2026 is £8 an hour. That applies to apprentices under 19 and to older apprentices in their first year. After the first year, apprentices aged 21 and over must get at least £12.71 an hour. No official average apprentice salary is published. Qualified electricians start around £26,000 a year.
Apprentice pay floors from 1 April 2026
| Situation | Minimum hourly rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Under 19, or 19 and over in the first year | £8 | GOV.UK |
| Aged 18 to 20, after the first year | £10.85 | GOV.UK |
| Aged 21 and over, after the first year | £12.71 | GOV.UK |
| Previous apprentice rate (April 2025) | £7.55 | GOV.UK |
| Qualified electrician, starter salary | £26,000 a year | National Careers Service |
| Typical working week | 37 to 45 hours | National Careers Service |
Working out your own pay
- Find your age band and whether you are past the first year.
- Multiply the hourly floor by your contracted hours: 37 hours at £8 is £296 a week before tax.
- Compare the offer; many employers pay above the floor.
- Check again each April, when the rates change.
Practice for the AM2 assessment
This page covers the route into the trade. For the assessment itself, our main page is the UK electrician exam guide: the NET AM2 family, City & Guilds 2382 (BS 7671), the wiring regulations and the official links in one place.
Try the free UK electrician practice test in your browser. The questions are original and benchmarked on the public NET AM2 outline and BS 7671. The one-time UK exam pack unlocks every UK question and a printable PDF version, with no subscription.
FAQ
Is £8 an hour the average?
It is the legal minimum. No official average apprentice salary is published, and offers vary by employer.
When does my rate go up?
After the first year, if you are 19 or over, you move to the minimum for your age.
What does an electrician earn after the apprenticeship?
The National Careers Service gives £26,000 for starters and £45,000 for experienced electricians.
Sources
- GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
- National Careers Service: Electrician job profile
Page updated: 2026-09-30. Figures were read from the linked official pages on 2026-09-30. Career routes and building rules here are for England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own careers services, and the ECS card in Scotland is handled by the Scottish JIB.
About the author: Tsai, creator of Tsai Electro, moved from an office job into electrical and MEP field work in Taiwan and holds Taiwanese indoor wiring and water piping technician certificates. Tsai has not trained or worked as an electrician in the UK, so every UK rule on this page links to the official page that publishes it.
