What does the job involve day to day?
You work on plant rather than houses. The Skills England standard for installation and maintenance electricians covers installation, testing and maintenance on AC and DC systems, single and three-phase, up to 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC. It names switchboards, motors, thermal relays and protective devices, and includes maintenance of automated production systems. On an industrial site that means motor circuits, distribution boards, control panels and the machines on the line.
Job adverts show the real mix. A 2025 County Durham vacancy listed installing several cable types and ladder and tray containment, fault-finding on industrial plants, maintaining machinery and reading schematics. A Midlands feed mill role asked for strong knowledge of relays, contactors, motor starters and control systems, plus reactive breakdown cover and planned maintenance.
Installation or maintenance: which kind of industrial work?
There are two broad routes. Contractors put in new plant: containment, cable pulls, terminations, testing and handover on factory builds and machinery installs. Maintenance electricians are based on one site and keep it running. They do breakdowns, planned maintenance and small upgrades, and often work shifts or a call-out rota. The feed mill advert said to expect occasional call-outs out of hours.
The work is physical. Adverts mention working at height, confined spaces and lock-out/tag-out. If you can find a fault on a three-phase motor circuit quickly while production stands idle, you will always have work. That skill is what marks an industrial electrician out from a domestic one.
Which tickets do employers ask for?
The base is a Level 3 qualification, the 18th Edition (BS 7671) and an ECS card. To get the Installation Electrician gold card you need a JIB-recognised Level 3 apprenticeship or NVQ, a current ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessment and a recognised BS 7671 qualification. If you have experience but no Level 3, the Experienced Worker Assessment offers routes needing three or five years' experience.
On top of that, employers ask for extra tickets. Adverts mention IPAF, PASMA and confined space training, and inspection and testing such as City & Guilds 2391-52. Hazardous area work in water, energy and chemicals asks for CompEx. One 2025 CompEx role wanted Ex01 to Ex04 (gas and vapours), and preferred Ex05 to Ex06 (dust) plus CCNSG.
Travel, vehicles and day rates
Contract industrial work often means travel. The County Durham advert covered projects across the North East with occasional UK-wide travel and came with a company vehicle. If you work for a JIB member contractor, the 2026 National Working Rules pay a mileage rate or allowance on jobs 15 miles or more from the shop. They also set a lodging allowance where travelling daily would be onerous. The standard working week is 37.5 hours.
Contract and temp-to-perm work is sometimes paid by the day. A 2025 Midlands industrial maintenance role offered £270 to £300 a day. That is one advert and is not a market rate, so compare several before you price yourself.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. The range rows are modelled from ONS ASHE April 2026 (provisional) data for electricians in general, moved to the current year with a wage index. Regional figures are also modelled. The JIB rows are the official 2026 hourly rates (£18.38, £20.08 and £22.70) worked out over 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks. Overtime, shift premiums and call-out pay can add a lot on maintenance roles. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Level 3 qualificationA JIB-recognised Level 3 apprenticeship standard or NVQ, or an equivalent, is the baseline for the ECS gold card.
- 18th Edition (BS 7671)You need a recognised BS 7671 qualification for the gold card, and industrial adverts list it as essential.
- ECS card and HS&E assessmentThe gold card also needs a current ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessment. Industrial adverts ask for a valid ECS, CSCS or JIB card.
- Motor and control knowledgeEmployers want working knowledge of relays, contactors, motor starters, control panels and schematics.
- Access and safety ticketsIPAF, PASMA and confined space training often appear as an advantage, along with lock-out/tag-out experience.
- CompEx for hazardous areasSites with explosive atmospheres ask for CompEx units, such as Ex01 to Ex04 for gas and vapours.
- Driving licenceContract roles that cover several sites usually ask for a full UK driving licence.
Across the UK
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | The Joint Industry Board runs the ECS card scheme and sets JIB wage rates and working rules for member contractors. |
|---|---|
| Scotland | The Scottish Joint Industry Board handles ECS applications and information throughout Scotland and publishes its own national rates. |
How to get there
- StartGet into trainingStart an Installation and Maintenance Electrician Level 3 apprenticeship, or take a college course first to help you land one. Advanced apprenticeships usually ask for five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 including English and maths.
- End of trainingQualify at Level 3Complete the apprenticeship or NVQ, the 18th Edition and the ECS HS&E assessment, then apply for the gold card.
- First years qualifiedBuild industrial experienceLook for work on plant installs or site maintenance so you get motors, panels and three-phase fault-finding on your CV. One advert wanted five years' experience.
- As neededAdd ticketsTake 2391 inspection and testing, access tickets and CompEx if you want hazardous area work.
- Later careerMove up or specialiseGo on to supervision, controls, commissioning or design, or work self-employed on day rates.
Questions people ask
Is an industrial electrician a different qualification from a regular electrician?
No. Industrial electricians use the same Level 3 route and ECS gold card as other electricians. The difference comes from experience on plant, motors and control systems, plus extra tickets such as CompEx.
Do industrial electricians work on three-phase?
Yes, and a lot of it. The national standard covers single and three-phase AC and DC work up to 1000 V AC, and factory equipment such as motors and switchboards runs mainly on three-phase supplies.
What is CompEx and do I need it?
CompEx is a certification that employers ask for when you work in hazardous areas with explosive gas, vapour or dust. You only need it for those sites. Water, energy, chemical and similar plants ask for it.
Can I become an industrial electrician without an apprenticeship?
If you have worked as an electrician but have no Level 3, the Experienced Worker Assessment can recognise your skills. There are two routes, one needing at least three years' experience and the other five.
Do industrial maintenance electricians work shifts?
Many do. Site maintenance roles cover breakdowns and often include call-outs or shift rotas. The JIB working rules set out shift patterns, including permanent nights and three-shift working.
Sources
- Skills England: Installation and maintenance electrician (OCC0152)
- National Careers Service: Electrician job profile
- ECS: Installation Electrician gold card
- JIB Handbook 2026: National Working Rules
- JIB Industrial Determination 2026-2028
- DWP Find a job: Industrial Electrician, County Durham
- DWP Find a job: Industrial Electrician, Midlands
- DWP Find a job: CompEx Electrician, Cambridge
