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Quick answer: Converted to monthly pay before tax, the National Careers Service range for electricians is about £2,167 a month for a starter (£26,000 a year) and £3,750 for an experienced electrician (£45,000). An apprentice on the April 2026 minimum of £8 an hour for 37 hours a week earns about £1,283 a month. Engineering course students are usually unpaid while studying.
Monthly figures before tax
| Role | Monthly | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician, starter | £2,167 | £26,000 divided by 12 | National Careers Service |
| Electrician, experienced | £3,750 | £45,000 divided by 12 | National Careers Service |
| Apprentice at the minimum, 37 hours a week | £1,283 | £8 an hour, 52 weeks, divided by 12 | GOV.UK |
| Worker aged 21 and over at the National Living Wage, 37 hours a week | £2,038 | £12.71 an hour, 52 weeks, divided by 12 | GOV.UK |
How to use these numbers
- Pick the annual or hourly figure that matches your stage.
- Divide annual pay by 12, or multiply hourly pay by weekly hours and 52, then divide by 12.
- Remember these are before tax and National Insurance.
- Compare with real offers, which may be above the minimums.
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
Why convert to monthly pay?
Most UK jobs pay monthly, so monthly figures are easier to compare with rent and bills.
Does an electrical engineering course pay while you study?
A college course is usually unpaid, while an apprentice is employed and paid at least £8 an hour.
How many hours are these figures based on?
The apprentice figures use 37 hours, the low end of the 37 to 45 hours the National Careers Service lists.
Sources
- National Careers Service: Electrician job profile
- GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
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: Engineer Tsai moved from an office job into electrical and MEP field work in Taiwan and holds Taiwanese indoor wiring and water piping technician certificates. Engineer 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.
