What the JIB rates are and who they cover
The Joint Industry Board sets a graded wage for electricians working under its agreement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Your grade decides your rate. That means Electrician, Approved Electrician or Technician, plus trainee, improver, labourer and apprentice grades. The JIB handbook says each grade should be paid no more and no less than its rate for the place where you are working. The standard week is 37.5 hours, normally Monday to Friday.
Each grade has three rates. Job Employed (Transport Provided) applies when your employer gets you to and from the job. Job Employed (Own Transport) applies when you make your own way there, so it is higher. Shop Employed is a lower rate for the few operatives who work permanently at the employer's shop and never go on site. For an Electrician in 2026 the three rates are £18.38, £19.54 and £16.95 an hour.
What the 2026 to 2028 agreement says
The ECA and Unite the Union agreed a three-year deal through the JIB National Board. It started on Monday 5 January 2026. In year one, graded operative rates went up by 3.95%. Apprentice rates did not change that year. In year two, from 4 January 2027, operatives get 4.6% and apprentices 2%. In year three, from 3 January 2028, operatives get 4.85% and apprentices 3%.
Under the published tables, the Electrician transport-provided rate goes to £19.23 in 2027 and £20.16 in 2028. The Approved Electrician rate goes to £21.00 and then £22.02. The Technician rate goes to £23.74 and then £24.89. The 2028 changes also add £10 a week to JIB sick pay for weeks 3 to 24, which takes an Electrician to £200 a week on top of Statutory Sick Pay.
London rates, overtime and extras
Under the JIB, the London Zone is everything inside the M25, including the motorway itself. In 2026 the London Electrician rate is £20.58 an hour with transport provided, £21.89 on own transport and £19.00 shop employed. Approved Electricians get £22.48, £23.73 and £20.83. Technicians get £25.47, £26.70 and £23.79. If you normally work out of a London shop, you keep London rates for up to 12 weeks on a job outside the zone, or for the whole contract if that runs longer.
Overtime premium starts after 37.5 hours, Monday to Friday, at time and a half. Saturday hours after the first six, or after 3pm, are paid at double time until Monday starts. An Approved Electrician who supervises other operatives also gets responsibility money of 10p to £1.00 an hour. Supervising apprentices does not count towards it.
Apprentice rates
Apprentices in England, Wales and Northern Ireland get one hourly rate, whether they are at work or at college. In 2026 the national rates are £8.16 (stage 1), £10.60 (stage 2), £13.05 (stage 3) and £14.03 (stage 4). In London they are £9.14 (stage 1), £11.88 (stage 2), £14.62 (stage 3) and £15.72 (stage 4). In January 2027 the national rates go to £8.32, £10.81, £13.31 and £14.31.
The JIB says its stage 1 rate is above the £8.00 statutory apprentice minimum that applies from April 2026. Watch out for one case. An apprentice aged 19 or over who is in their second year must get either the JIB stage rate or the National Minimum Wage for their age, whichever is higher. At 21 and over, that minimum is £12.71 an hour.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. JIB rows are the official JIB Industrial Determination 2026-2028 hourly rates from 5 January 2026, annualised at 37.5 hours x 52 weeks before overtime and allowances. The all-electricians row is an estimate based on ONS ASHE April 2026 (provisional), moved to the current year with a wage index. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Electrician gradeYou need the Electrician grade to be paid £18.38 an hour, or £19.54 on own transport, in 2026. It usually goes with a completed apprenticeship or an equivalent recognised route and an ECS card.
- Approved Electrician gradeIn 2026 this grade pays £20.08 with transport provided and £21.19 on own transport. If you supervise other operatives you can add 10p to £1.00 an hour in responsibility money.
- Technician gradeThis is the top graded rate: £22.70 with transport provided and £23.87 on own transport. The same rate covers Site/Installation Technicians, Mechanical Technicians and Cable Installation Supervisors.
- Experienced worker and trainee gradesECS Experienced Worker cardholders and stage 3 trainee electricians get £17.51 an hour with transport provided. Stage 2 trainees and Electrical Improvers get £16.54.
- Working inside the M25London rates apply to all your paid hours on jobs in the London Zone. That includes overtime, shift premiums and holiday pay.
Across the UK
| England and Wales | JIB National Standard rates apply outside the London Zone. Apprentices get a single hourly rate covering both work and college. |
|---|---|
| London Zone | Higher JIB London rates apply anywhere inside and including the M25. In 2026 that is £20.58 an hour for an Electrician with transport provided. |
| Northern Ireland | JIB rates apply. As in England and Wales, apprentices get one hourly rate whether they are at work or at college. |
| Scotland | The Scottish Joint Industry Board sets its own rates. From 5 January 2026 an Electrician gets £16.95 shop and £19.54 travel. Stage 3 apprentices have a separate, lower college rate. |
How to get there
- Years 1-4Apprentice, stages 1 to 4£8.16 rising to £14.03 an hour nationally in 2026, with one rate for work and college.
- While qualifyingTrainee or Electrical ImproverAdult trainee stages pay £14.60 to £17.51 an hour. Improvers get £16.54 with transport provided.
- On qualifyingElectrician£18.38 with transport provided, £19.54 on own transport. Works out at about £35,800 to £38,100 for a 37.5-hour week.
- After experienceApproved Electrician£20.08 to £21.19 an hour, plus responsibility money if you supervise other operatives.
- Senior gradeTechnician£22.70 to £23.87 an hour. This is the highest JIB graded rate.
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Questions people ask
What is the JIB rate for an electrician in 2026?
From 5 January 2026 a JIB Electrician gets £18.38 an hour on site with transport provided, £19.54 on own transport and £16.95 if shop employed. Over a 37.5-hour week for 52 weeks, the transport-provided rate comes to about £35,841.
Why is the own-transport rate higher?
The JIB sets two site rates. The own-transport rate is for operatives who get themselves to and from the job, and the extra money reflects that cost. For an Electrician the difference in 2026 is £1.16 an hour.
When do JIB rates next go up?
From 4 January 2027, graded operative rates rise by 4.6% and apprentice rates by 2%. That takes an Electrician with transport provided to £19.23 an hour and a stage 1 apprentice to £8.32. A further rise follows on 3 January 2028.
Where do JIB London rates apply?
They apply to jobs inside and including the M25. If you work out of a London shop, you keep London rates for up to 12 weeks on a job outside the zone, or for the whole contract if it runs longer.
How is JIB overtime paid?
Premium time starts after 37.5 hours in the Monday to Friday week and is paid at time and a half. Saturday hours after the first six, or after 3pm, and everything up to the Monday start, are paid at double time.
Can a JIB apprentice be paid less than minimum wage?
No. The JIB stage 1 rate of £8.16 is above the £8.00 apprentice minimum from April 2026. If an apprentice is 19 or over and in their second year, the employer must pay the JIB stage rate or the National Minimum Wage for their age, whichever is higher.
Sources
- Joint Industry Board: Industrial Determination 2026-2028 (wage tables)
- Joint Industry Board: Handbook 2026, Section 2 National Working Rules
- Joint Industry Board: New Wage Agreement from 2026 to 2028
- Joint Industry Board: Budget 2025, minimum wage and apprenticeships
- Scottish Joint Industry Board: SJIB National Rates & Allowances 2026
