What does the JIB pay apprentices at each stage?
The Joint Industry Board sets apprentice rates for firms that follow its agreement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. From 5 January 2026 the national rates are £8.16 an hour at Stage 1, £10.60 at Stage 2, £13.05 at Stage 3 and £14.03 at Stage 4. These are the same figures as 2025. Apprentice rates were held this year while graded electricians got a rise.
The JIB working week is 37.5 hours. On that basis Stage 1 comes to about £306 a week, or £15,912 a year. Stage 4 comes to about £526 a week, or £27,359 a year. Since January 2025 there is one rate for every hour, whether you are on site or at college. The separate, lower college rate was dropped in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What is the legal minimum, and when does it beat the JIB rate?
From 1 April 2026 the National Minimum Wage apprentice rate is £8 an hour. It applies if you are under 19, or 19 or over and still in your first year. Once you are 19 or over and have finished your first year, you are owed the full minimum wage for your age. That is £10.85 at 18 to 20 and £12.71 at 21 and over.
This matters for older apprentices. The JIB rate for Stage 2 is £10.60. A 21-year-old Stage 2 apprentice past their first year must be paid at least £12.71. The JIB handbook says such apprentices get whichever is higher, the minimum wage for their age or the JIB rate for their grade. From April 2027 the apprentice minimum rises to £8.31 and the adult rate to £13.21.
How does pay rise each year?
You get a rise in two ways. The first is moving up a stage. Each stage carries a higher rate. To move up you need both time served and completed training targets. Your employer reviews your progress every September and moves you up if you have met them. Going from Stage 1 to Stage 2 lifts your pay by £2.44 an hour.
The second is the yearly rate change under the 2026 to 2028 agreement. From 4 January 2027 the national rates go to £8.32, £10.81, £13.31 and £14.31. From 3 January 2028 they go to £8.57, £11.13, £13.71 and £14.74. Once you qualify and are graded as an electrician, the 2026 rate is £18.38 an hour with transport provided.
What do employers outside the JIB pay?
Firms outside the JIB agreement can set their own apprentice rates. The law only sets the floor: £8 an hour in your first year, then the minimum wage for your age once you are 19 or over. Some pay close to the JIB scale and some pay the legal minimum. Ask for the rate in writing before you sign, and ask how it goes up each year.
For a wider view, our modelled figures for apprentices and trainees across all trades put the middle half on £15,900 to £27,400 a year, with a midpoint of £23,100. That covers more than electrical work, so read it as a rough guide. Overtime, travel and lodging allowances can also add to what you take home.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. JIB rows are the official JIB 2026 hourly rates multiplied by 37.5 hours and 52 weeks. The legal minimum row uses the gov.uk rate from April 2026. The all-trades row is modelled from ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2026 (provisional), brought forward with a wage index. Your stage, your age, London work and overtime all change the figure. Refer to the Apprentices & Trainees salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Minimum wage, first year or under 19£8 an hour from 1 April 2026, rising to £8.31 from April 2027.
- Minimum wage, 19 or over after year oneYou are owed the rate for your age: £10.85 at 18 to 20 or £12.71 at 21 and over from April 2026.
- Higher-of rule on JIB jobsOnce you are 19 or over and past your first year, the JIB says you get whichever is higher, the minimum wage for your age or the JIB rate for your stage.
- Paid training timeYou must be paid for your normal hours and for apprenticeship training, which is at least 20% of your normal working hours.
- Stage progressionMoving up a stage depends on time served and training targets met. Your employer reviews this every September.
Across the UK
| England and Wales | JIB national rates apply: £8.16, £10.60, £13.05 and £14.03 an hour for Stages 1 to 4 in 2026. The same rate covers work and college time. |
|---|---|
| London | Apprentices working on jobs inside the M25 get JIB London rates: £9.14, £11.88, £14.62 and £15.72 an hour for Stages 1 to 4 in 2026. |
| Northern Ireland | JIB rates apply, and the single rate for work and college covers Northern Ireland too. The minimum wage rates are the same as in Great Britain. |
| Scotland | The SJIB sets separate rates. In 2026 they are £8.16 at Stage 1, £10.60 at Stage 2, £11.42 at Stage 3 and £13.05 at Stage 3: FICA. Stage 3 has a lower college rate. |
How to get there
- StartStage 1 apprenticeThe usual starting point. In 2026 you get £8.16 an hour on JIB rates, or the legal apprentice minimum if that is higher.
- After a September reviewStage 2 apprenticeReached once you complete the Stage 1 training targets. £10.60 an hour, or the minimum wage for your age if you are 19 or over and past year one.
- After a September reviewStage 3 apprentice£13.05 an hour on JIB national rates. At this stage the JIB rate is above the adult minimum wage.
- After a September reviewStage 4 apprentice£14.03 an hour on JIB national rates, the top apprentice stage.
- On completionGraded electricianOnce you complete the apprenticeship and are graded, the JIB electrician rate is £18.38 an hour with transport provided in 2026.
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Questions people ask
How much does a first-year apprentice electrician earn?
On JIB rates a Stage 1 apprentice earns £8.16 an hour in 2026, about £15,900 a year on a 37.5-hour week. A firm outside the JIB only has to pay the legal apprentice minimum of £8 an hour in your first year.
Do apprentices get paid for college days?
Yes. Apprentices must be paid for apprenticeship training as well as normal working hours. On JIB jobs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland the same hourly rate has applied to work and college time since January 2025.
I am 22 and a Stage 2 apprentice. What is my minimum pay?
If you have finished your first year, you are owed at least £12.71 an hour from April 2026, the rate for workers 21 and over. That is more than the £10.60 JIB Stage 2 rate, and the JIB says you get whichever is higher.
Did JIB apprentice rates go up in January 2026?
No. The 2026 apprentice rates stayed at the 2025 levels while graded operatives got a rise. Apprentice rates go up again from 4 January 2027, with Stage 1 moving to £8.32 an hour.
Do London apprentices earn more?
Yes, on jobs inside the M25 the JIB London rates apply. In 2026 they run from £9.14 an hour at Stage 1 to £15.72 at Stage 4.
Are apprentice rates different in Scotland?
Yes. The SJIB sets its own scale. In 2026 it runs from £8.16 at Stage 1 to £13.05 at Stage 3: FICA, with a lower college rate at Stage 3.
Sources
- GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
- GOV.UK: Become an apprentice, what you'll get
- JIB: Handbook 2026, Section 2 National Working Rules
- JIB: Industrial Determination 2026 to 2028
- JIB: Apprentice Rates 2025
- JIB: Handbook FAQs on apprentice advancement
- JIB: Industrial Relations blog on apprentice stages
- SJIB: National Rates and Allowances 2026
