Work out your contractor rate, pay or wage as a tradie — find out what others are charging and calculate your own profitable hourly rate. Award wages, overhead costs, and profit margin — all in one calculator.
| Trade | Junior (3-5yr) | Mid (5-10yr) | Senior (10-15yr) | Master (15+yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⚡ Electrician | $70-$85 | $85-$100 | $100-$120 | $120-$150 |
| 🔧 Plumber | $65-$80 | $80-$95 | $95-$110 | $110-$140 |
| 🪚 Carpenter | $50-$65 | $65-$80 | $80-$95 | $95-$120 |
| 🏗️ Builder | $55-$70 | $70-$90 | $90-$110 | $110-$140 |
| 🎨 Painter | $40-$55 | $55-$70 | $70-$85 | $85-$105 |
| 🌿 Landscaper | $40-$50 | $50-$65 | $65-$80 | $80-$100 |
| 🧱 Tiler | $45-$55 | $55-$70 | $70-$85 | $85-$100 |
| 🏚️ Plasterer | $45-$55 | $55-$70 | $70-$85 | $85-$100 |
Rates based on Services Australia, HIA, and industry surveys. Updated June 2026. GST not included.
Base rate set by Fair Work Australia. Typically $30-$55/hr depending on trade and experience.
Vehicle, fuel, insurance ($2K-$5K/yr), tools, phone, marketing. Usually $300-$800/week.
20-35% is standard. Below 20% leaves no buffer for slow periods.
Quoting, travel, admin. Typically 15-25% of your week is unbillable — your rate must cover this.
| State | Avg Premium vs VIC | Key Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria (VIC) | Baseline | Strong residential construction |
| New South Wales (NSW) | +5-10% | Sydney premium, higher living costs |
| Queensland (QLD) | -5-8% | Lower overheads, competitive market |
| Western Australia (WA) | +8-15% | Mining-driven labour shortage |
| South Australia (SA) | -5-10% | Lower cost of living, smaller market |
Add your desired wage/salary to your weekly business overheads (insurance, vehicle, tools, admin), then divide by your realistic billable hours. Add a profit margin of 20-35% on top. The calculator above does this automatically for common trades.
It depends heavily on trade and experience — see the rate table above. As a rough guide, most Australian trade contractors charge $60-$120/hr depending on trade, experience and state, before GST.
A contractor rate needs to cover what an employer would otherwise pay in super, insurance, tools, vehicle and downtime — an employee's wage doesn't need to cover those. That's why a contractor's hourly rate is typically 40-60% higher than an equivalent employee's base wage.
Job profit = price charged − materials − labour − overhead. See our Tradie Profit Calculator for a full breakdown including overhead and profit margin on a specific job.