The JIB (Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry) sets industry-wide pay scales for UK electricians employed by JIB-member firms. Updated annually, this guide covers the 2026 rates for every JIB grade plus context on which firms use them. This guide is for qualified electricians, JIB members and apprentices benchmarking their pay.
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Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.
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The Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry (JIB) is the negotiating body for pay and conditions in the UK electrical contracting industry. Founded 1968, the JIB represents both employers (via ECA — the Electrical Contractors Association) and employees (via Unite the Union). Member firms agree to use JIB pay scales and follow JIB working rules. JIB membership is voluntary — many smaller firms are not JIB members.
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Apprentice Year 1: ~£8.60/hour. Apprentice Year 2: ~£11.45/hour. Apprentice Year 3: ~£14.30/hour. Apprentice Year 4: ~£16.50/hour. Electrician: ~£17.80/hour. Approved Electrician: ~£19.50-22.00/hour. Senior Electrician: ~£22-25/hour. Approved Senior Electrician: ~£25-27.50/hour. Technician: ~£23-26/hour. These are base rates — overtime, weekend, bank holiday and lodging allowances are additional.
JIB members pay daily fares (typically £15-25/day for travel between your home and the site). Travel time over a defined distance (typically 15 miles each way) is paid at the agreed hourly rate. Lodging allowance applies when working away from home — typically £40-60/night plus subsistence. Get the current rates from your JIB Rep or the JIB rate card.
JIB rates for over-time: time and a half for the first 4 hours, double time thereafter. Saturday: time and a half. Sunday: double time. Bank holidays: double time. These are minimums under the JIB agreement — many firms pay above. Confirm with your employer’s offer letter whether overtime rates apply automatically or only with prior agreement.
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Many small electrical contractors and smaller firms are not JIB members. Their pay structures vary: some pay below JIB for junior staff (taking advantage of inexperience), some pay above JIB for senior staff (competing for talent). Use the JIB rate as your floor when negotiating: "The JIB rate for an Approved Electrician is £19.50 — I need at least that."
Self-employed electricians need to earn 1.5-2× JIB hourly to match the equivalent net income (because self-employed absorb holiday, sick, pension, training, insurance, scheme fees and tools). A JIB Approved Electrician at £20/hour is equivalent to a self-employed charge-out rate of £55-75/hour to maintain similar net income. Use this when pricing self-employed work.
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