Technicians and Trades Workers
Electrician (Special Class)
In shortage nationally, in NSW, in VIC, in QLD, in SA, in WA and in NT.
Our read
Opportunity
StrongIn shortage nationally this year, and it's been short for most of the last five — steady demand, not a blip.
Getting in
Steady buildThe standard route is a diploma or a Certificate III/IV — often an apprenticeship, where you're paid to learn on the job over a few years.
Opportunity and Getting-in are our analysis of the official data — not a Jobs and Skills Australia rating. How we work these out.
Getting in
Training level 3. Certificate IV, or Certificate III plus at least two years on-the-job training.
Earn while you learn: what would an apprentice earn?
What you'd earn
Real Fair Work minimum award rates for this trade — from first-year apprentice to qualified tradesperson.
1st year
$623–683 /wk
2nd year
$743–803 /wk
3rd year
$863 /wk
4th year
$1,007 /wk
Qualified
$1,223 /wk+
Once qualified, the legal minimum is $1,223.11 a week ($32.19/hour, 38-hour week) as a Electrical worker grade 5 under the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020.
Grade 5 is the qualified electrical tradesperson classification; rate includes the $40.29/week electrician's licence allowance (award cl 18.3(b)).
Work out the exact apprentice rate for your situation — adult apprentices, Year 12, sector and term options.
These are the legal minimums, not the going rate — many employers pay above award, and enterprise agreements can be substantially higher. Base rates before tax for a full-time 38-hour week, excluding overtime, penalty rates and super (the figures shown already include some allowances: industry, tool and electrician's licence allowances). Apprentice figures show the junior rate; a range means the rate depends on whether Year 12 was finished. Minimum award rates from the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 [MA000025] (© Fair Work Ombudsman, www.fairwork.gov.au, CC BY-NC 4.0), rates effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Presentation and any errors are ours. Information, not advice — check the Pay and Conditions Tool for your exact situation.
Why it's in shortage — and how hard it is to break in
Qualified people exist — employers still can't find who they want
There are enough people with the right paperwork, but employers say they lack the experience or job-ready skills they're after. The qualification alone may not be enough here — work experience and workplace skills are what set an applicant apart.
The driver ("Suitability gap") is Jobs and Skills Australia's analysis of this occupation's unit group (3411); the plain-English explanation is ours.
Will AI replace it?
Hands-on, in-person work that's hard to automate. This is exactly the kind of non-routine, physical, face-to-face work that AI and automation struggle with most — a safer bet for a long career.
Our editorial read, based on the kind of work (its occupation group) — not a Jobs and Skills Australia rating, and not a prediction.
Five-year national trend
Strong, steady demand. Employers have struggled to fill these roles every year for the last five — a persistent shortage, and a dependable outlook for finding work.
● in shortage · ○ no shortage
Where it's in shortage (2025)
Open a state or territory for the local picture — its five-year trend, the regional vs metro read, and how it compares with the national rating.
Labour-market signals
For this occupation's unit group (3411).
Roles stay open — that's in your favour. Employers fill fewer of these roles than the typical occupation, so positions keep coming up and your chances of landing one are strong.
Below average. Earns less per hour than the typical Australian occupation.Our read: this is JSA's standardised, relative earnings measure for the trade's broader occupation group, not a take-home figure — see real apprentice pay rates.
Shown relative to all occupations — real award minimums for this trade are in "What you'd earn" above.
Skilled migration list
This occupation appears on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) as at 7 November 2025.
Being on the list says nothing about anyone's visa eligibility — it is one condition among many. This is general information, not migration advice. For advice about your circumstances, see the Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation lists or a registered migration agent (OMARA register).
Related occupations
Know the moment new numbers land
You're already seeing the newest numbers: the 2025 Occupation Shortage List is the government's current release — checked against the source in July 2026 — and apprentice pay rates include the 1 July 2026 increase. When the next list lands, we'll send one note: what moved, what it means. No newsletter, no selling your address.
ANZSCO 341112 · Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List 2025.