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A complete industry guide for electricians, solar installers, and electrical contractors — market size, earning capacity, licensing, tools, finance, and where the trade is heading in 2026.
Electrical is one of the largest and most resilient trades in Australia, and it’s now sitting at the intersection of two booms — construction and the energy transition.
| Metric | Data | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Market size: |
The electrical services industry in Australia is worth $36.2 billion as of 2025, spread across 48,800 businesses nationally, with business numbers growing at 1.7% a year over the past five years. (IBISWorld) |
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Solar layered on top: |
Solar panel installation is its own fast-growing sub-industry — $2.3 billion in revenue in 2026, across 8,505 businesses, up 5.2% in a single year. (IBISWorld) |
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Rooftop solar penetration: |
Around one in three Australian homes now has solar, and solar accounts for roughly 18% of national electricity generation — Australia leads the world on rooftop solar uptake per capita. |
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Battery storage is surging: |
Battery storage sales jumped 191% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, driven by rising electricity prices (retail increases of up to 9.7% for households and 8.5% for small businesses in 2026) and government battery rebate schemes. |
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EV charging demand is compounding: |
Australia’s EV charging market is forecast to grow at 21% CAGR through 2034, and public charging points are expected to grow 500% by 2030 — most of that installation work lands on licensed electricians. |
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Why this matters for tradies: Unlike a lot of trades that rise and fall with the housing cycle, electrical work is now propped up by three separate tailwinds at once — new construction, renovation/upgrade work (switchboards, safety switches, rewiring older homes), and the clean energy build-out (solar, batteries, EV chargers). A contractor who can service all three isn’t just diversified — they’re future-proofed.
Electrical work spans a wide spread of specialisations, and increasingly, the money is in stacking two or three of them under one ABN.
| Work Type | What It Covers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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Residential wiring & maintenance |
new builds, renovations, fault-finding, switchboard upgrades, safety switch installs, lighting, power points. The bread and butter, and where most apprentices cut their teeth. |
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Commercial & industrial |
office fit-outs, retail, warehouses, factories, three-phase power, data/comms cabling, emergency lighting, compliance testing. Bigger jobs, longer lead times, better margins on volume. |
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Solar PV installation |
residential and small commercial rooftop systems. Requires an unrestricted electrical licence plus Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accreditation (SAA replaced the Clean Energy Council’s accreditation scheme in 2024 as the sole national accreditor). |
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Battery storage & hybrid systems |
increasingly bundled with solar quotes rather than sold separately; this is where a lot of the margin has shifted as panel prices have fallen. |
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EV charger installation |
a fast-growing niche. Home Level 2 chargers run $800–$2,000 in hardware, with professional installation adding another $400–$900 — a solid add-on service for existing solar/electrical clients. |
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Test and tag / compliance certification |
recurring, low-skill-barrier revenue that keeps cash flow ticking over between bigger jobs. |
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Air conditioning & data/security systems |
many electrical businesses cross-skill into split-system AC installs, CCTV, and smart home wiring as a natural adjacent service. |
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Maintenance electrician / FIFO & industrial roles |
for employees rather than business owners, these are the highest-paying PAYG electrical jobs, particularly in mining regions (WA, QLD, NT). |
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Where the margin actually is: Solar-plus-battery installs and EV charger add-ons currently carry better margins than straight rewiring work, because demand is outstripping the supply of SAA-accredited installers. Compliance and test-and-tag work won’t make anyone rich, but it’s the most recession-proof line item on the books.
The pattern: Electrical already pays well as a PAYG trade compared to most others — but the real earning jump comes from stacking an unrestricted licence with SAA solar accreditation. That single extra qualification is currently worth tens of thousands of dollars a year in market rate, because demand for accredited installers is outpacing supply.
| Role | Typical Annual Salary | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Employee electrician (SEEK average) |
$95,000–$115,000 a year nationally. (SEEK) |
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Industrial electrician |
$105,000–$125,000. |
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Maintenance electrician |
$110,000–$130,000. |
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FIFO / resource-sector electrician (WA) |
experienced FIFO roles regularly clear $130,000+, with some ads listing $160,000–$170,000 for specialised industrial or mining site work. |
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Solar installer |
average reported salary sits around $106,000–$108,000 a year, but SAA-accredited electricians with solar specialisation typically earn $90,000–$150,000+, with senior installers and small business owners at the top end. Job ads in 2026 have listed ranges as high as $110,000–$150,000 for experienced solar/battery installers, and $60–$70/hour for accredited contractors. |
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Entry-level / apprentice |
roughly $70,000 starting out for newly trained solar installers or first-year post-trade electricians, scaling quickly with accreditation and experience. |
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Source: SEEK
| Structure | Typical Charge Rate |
|---|---|
|
electrical contractor |
$90–$140/hour |
Sole trader / small business owner: highly variable, but a licensed electrical contractor running their own van typically bills out at $90–$140/hour depending on state and specialisation, with solar/battery contractors often commanding a premium due to the accreditation barrier to entry.
| Business Size | Gross Annual Revenue |
|---|---|
|
Contractors |
contractors running 2–5 vans can realistically be looking at $250,000–$600,000+ in annual revenue, with owners of established solar/EV/electrical outfits scaling well beyond that as they add commercial contracts. |
The pattern: Electrical already pays well as a PAYG trade compared to most others — but the real earning jump comes from stacking an unrestricted licence with SAA solar accreditation. That single extra qualification is currently worth tens of thousands of dollars a year in market rate, because demand for accredited installers is outpacing supply.
Electrical is one of the most tightly regulated trades in Australia — for good reason — and licensing is entirely state-based.
| Qualification | What It Unlocks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Complete a Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician (UEE30820) |
a four-year apprenticeship combining TAFE/RTO training with on-the-job hours. |
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Capstone Assessment |
Pass the Capstone Assessment (practical + theory exam) required in NSW, VIC, QLD and WA before licence application.
Apply to your state regulator for an electrical licence.
Renew every five years, with continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. |
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| State | Regulator | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
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NSW |
NSW Fair Trading / Building Commission NSW |
Application fee ~$210 for a one-year individual licence; separate contractor licence needed to run a business |
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VIC |
Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) |
Class A licence for general work; anyone connecting solar PV to the grid needs Class A + SAA accreditation; two-tier compliance system (COES for all work, ESV inspection for prescribed work) |
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QLD |
Electrical Safety Office (ESO), under WorkSafe QLD |
Two-tier system: Electrical Worker licence + separate Electrical Contractor licence for running a business; costs are higher than most states (~$365 for worker licence) |
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WA |
Building and Energy / Electrical Licensing Board of WA |
Requires demonstrated current knowledge of AS/NZS 3000 (Australian Wiring Rules) |
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SA |
Office of the Technical Regulator (Consumer and Business Services SA) |
Governed under the Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Electricians Act 1995 |
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Interstate work: The East Coast Electricians Scheme allows automatic recognition between NSW, QLD, and ACT licence holders. Broader Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR), in place since July 2021, means licensed electrical workers from participating states generally don’t need a new licence to do work they’re already licensed for interstate — but contractor licences and solar accreditation still need to be checked separately.
Compliance certificates: Every state requires a compliance certificate after electrical work is completed — CCEW (NSW), COES (VIC), ESC (QLD and WA), eCoC (SA). This isn’t optional; it confirms the work meets AS/NZS 3000.
Solar-specific accreditation: Since 2024, Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) is the sole national body accrediting solar designers and installers (it replaced the Clean Energy Council’s long-running accreditation program). Only SAA-accredited installers can install systems eligible for the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) — the mechanism behind most solar rebates. You’ll need an unrestricted electrical licence, a working-at-heights certificate, and to pass an SAA assessment (roughly $182 for provisional accreditation), plus ongoing CPD points to maintain it.
Electrical carries a heavier compliance-driven tool list than most trades — test equipment isn’t optional, it’s a legal requirement for sign-off.
| Equipment | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
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Screwdrivers, pliers, side cutters, strippers, cable knives
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$500–$1,200 |
| Equipment | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
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Drill/driver combo kit, angle grinder, reciprocating saw, hole saw kit
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$1,500–$4,000 |
| Equipment | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
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Multimeter, insulation resistance tester, RCD tester, earth loop tester, voltage indicator
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$2,000–$6,000 |
| Equipment | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
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Cable pullers, conduit benders, fish tape |
$300–$1,000 |
| Equipment | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
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Ladders, extension ladders, harness/working-at-heights kit |
$500–$2,000 |
| Equipment | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
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PV testers, irradiance meter, torque wrenches, roof anchor systems, string testers |
$2,000–$8,000 |
| Equipment | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
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Fitted-out van or ute, racking, signage |
$40,000–$90,000+ |
| Equipment | Approx. Price |
|---|---|
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Job management/quoting (ServiceM8, Tradify, simPRO), compliance certificate software, accounting (Xero/MYOB) |
$50–$300/month |
Total starter kit for a newly licensed electrician: roughly $8,000–$15,000 in tools and test equipment before the vehicle. Add solar accreditation gear and a fitted-out van, and a fully equipped solo operator is typically looking at $60,000–$100,000 all-in — which is exactly where equipment finance becomes relevant (see Section 7).
Cash flow: Electrical businesses that stack solar/battery work with routine maintenance and test-and-tag tend to smooth out cash flow better than those relying purely on large one-off installs, which can have long lead times between deposit and final payment.
Electrical is a capital-intensive trade to set up properly — test equipment, a fitted-out van, and (if you’re going into solar) racking, torque tools and PV testers all add up fast. Here’s how tradies typically fund it.
The most common way electricians and solar installers fund tools, vans, and equipment
| Finance Type | Best For |
|---|---|
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Chattel Mortgage |
you own the asset from day one, the lender holds security over it, and you can typically claim GST credit on the full purchase price in your next BAS. Equipment loans generally run 2–5 years and can also be used to refinance existing gear to release equity or reset repayment terms. |
The $20,000 instant asset write-off is a major lever for tradies. For eligible small businesses (turnover under $10 million), assets costing under $20,000 — power tools, test equipment, and (for many one-tonne-plus utes) work vehicles — can be deducted in full in the year they’re first used, rather than depreciated over several years. Following the May 2026 Federal Budget, this $20,000 threshold is proposed to become a permanent feature from 1 July 2026, removing the yearly “will it be extended” guessing game that used to drive rushed EOFY purchases — though this is not yet law and should be confirmed with your accountant or the ATO before you buy. The threshold applies per asset, so a $19,500 ute, a $14,000 trailer, and a $12,000 set of test equipment can each be written off in full in the same year.
Work vehicles are usually financed separately from tools, either as a low-doc business car loan or bundled into the same chattel mortgage as your equipment. Lenders generally look at ABN history, bank statement conduct, and PPSR (asset security) cleanliness more than payslips — which suits sole traders and recently-started contractors better than a standard bank loan does.
For bigger moves — buying out a business, hiring a crew, or funding a large commercial contract before payment — unsecured or secured business loans and lines of credit are the usual options, typically assessed on turnover and trading history rather than personal income.
Getting a home loan as a sole trader or company director usually means low-doc or alt-doc lending, using BAS statements, accountant’s letters, or 12 months of business bank statements instead of the two years of tax returns a PAYG applicant would provide. Lenders increasingly accept this pathway for licensed contractors with a consistent trading history.
(This is general information, not financial or tax advice — always confirm current thresholds and eligibility with your accountant or the ATO before making a purchase or finance decision.)
Tradie Daily connects Australian Electrical & Solar with 50+ lenders for equipment finance, ute loans, business loans, and more. Fast approvals — built for tradies who mean business.
Disclaimer: This guide covers electrical wiring, solar PV, battery storage, and EV charger installation across the Australian market as of 2026. Licensing requirements, thresholds, and rebate schemes change — always confirm current details with your state regulator or accountant before making licensing or purchasing decisions.