Electrician salary Melbourne: Where it sits against the Australian full-time average
If you're an electrician in Melbourne or considering the trade, you probably want to know how your pay stacks up against the national average. The short answer is that there is no single published figure for the average electrician salary in Melbourne. But we can use the available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Fair Work to give you a clear picture.
National full-time average earnings
The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, for May and November. The latest release (May 2026) shows that full-time adult ordinary time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week across Australia. That works out to about $108,352 per year (multiplying by 52 weeks). This is the figure we use as the 'line' on this site. For comparison, the full-time median (the middle point) is lower at about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025), and the all-employees median is about $74,100.
Award minimums for electricians
Electricians in Melbourne are covered by the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 (MA000025). This award sets minimum pay rates for different grades of electrical worker. The rates are updated each year; the current rates apply from 1 July 2026. Here are the minimum weekly rates for full-time adult employees:
- Electrical worker grade 1: $1,004.90 per week (about $52,255 per year)
- Electrical worker grade 5: $1,182.82 per week (about $61,507 per year)
- Electrical worker grade 10: $1,478.72 per week (about $76,893 per year)
These rates include industry, tool, and electrician's licence allowances where applicable. They are the legal minimums – many electricians earn more, especially those with experience or in specialised roles.
Victoria's full-time average
While we don't have a Melbourne-specific figure, the ABS does publish state averages. For Victoria, the full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings is $2,041.10 per week, or about $106,137 per year. That is slightly below the national average of $108,352. This suggests that the typical full-time worker in Victoria earns a little less than the national figure, but still well above the award minimums for electricians.
How to interpret these numbers
The national full-time average includes all occupations, from high-paying professions like mining and finance to lower-paid roles. Electricians sit somewhere in the middle. According to the ABS, the median full-time earnings across all jobs is about $90,532, which is closer to what a typical electrician might earn if they are above the award rate. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week – that is the same as the grade 1 electrical worker rate.
What this means for you
If you are an electrician in Melbourne earning at the award minimum, you are well below the national full-time average. But if you are earning above the award – as many electricians do – you could be closer to or even above the Victorian average of $106,137. Without a published average for electricians, the best approach is to compare your own salary to the national line and the state average. You can place your salary on the line to see where you stand.
Other useful comparisons
- Men's full-time average: about $113,412 per year
- Women's full-time average: about $100,594 per year
- Full-time median: about $90,532 per year
- All-employees median: about $74,100 per year
These figures come from the ABS and give you a broader context. Remember that the average is pulled up by high earners, so the median is often a better guide for typical pay.
Where to find more information
For award rates and conditions, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website. For earnings data, the ABS is the authoritative source. You can also explore job medians and industry medians on this site to see how electricians compare with other roles.
Final thoughts
While we can't give you a precise 'electrician salary Melbourne' figure, the data we have shows that award minimums are significantly below the national average, but actual earnings for experienced electricians in Melbourne are likely to be higher. If you want to know exactly where your pay sits, use our tool to place your salary on the line and see the distance from the full-time average.