How much should a tradesman charge per hour in Australia?

In 2026, most licensed trades charge between $85–$180/hour depending on trade type, location, and experience. Electricians average $125/hr, plumbers $130/hr, builders $110/hr, and painters $85/hr. These are charge-out rates including GST, not take-home pay.

What's the difference between charge-out rate and take-home pay?

Your charge-out rate covers all business costs (vehicle, insurance, tools, super, tax) plus your actual wages. A $120/hr charge-out rate typically translates to $45–$55/hr in actual take-home pay after all expenses.

How do I know if I'm undercharging?

If your annual take-home is less than what you'd earn as an employee in the same trade, you're undercharging. Use the calculator above — input your real costs and desired take-home. If the result is higher than your current rate, you've been subsidising your clients.

Charge Out Rate Calculator

Stop guessing your hourly rate. Plug in what it actually costs you to run your business and find out what you need to charge to make proper money.

Most tradies pick a number out of thin air or just charge what the bloke down the road charges. That's how you end up working 50-hour weeks and wondering where all the money went. This calculator works backwards from your actual costs — what it REALLY costs you to show up each day — so you know the minimum you need to charge before you even think about profit.

Your Work Week

Hours you work per week

Weeks you work per year Accounts for holidays and sick days — most tradies are 44–48.

Billable hours — how much is actual paid work vs admin, travel, quoting

70%

50% (lots of admin) 70% 95% (fully booked)

Your Costs (Annual)

Vehicle costs per year

Fuel, rego, insurance, finance, servicing

Insurance per year

Public liability, income protection, tools

Tools & equipment per year

Replacements, repairs, new gear

Materials you supply (not charged to client)

Software & subscriptions per year

Job management, accounting, etc.

Phone & internet per year

Accountant / bookkeeper per year

Other overheads per year

Site costs, storage, uniforms, training

Your Pay

What you want to take home per year (after tax)

Super rate (%) Current SG rate is 11.5%

Estimated tax rate (%) Rough guide: $45K–$120K income = 30–35%

Break-Even Rate

—

minimum to cover all costs

Target Rate

—

covers costs + your take-home

Per Day Rate

—

based on billable hours/day

Annual Revenue Needed

—

to hit your target

How we got there

Annual Costs

Vehicle —

Insurance —

Tools & equipment —

Materials (supplied) —

Software & subscriptions —

Phone & internet —

Accountant / bookkeeper —

Other overheads —

Total annual costs —

Your Pay (gross)

Take-home (after tax) —

Gross needed (pre-tax) —

Super on top —

Hours

Total billable hours/year —

Rates

Cost per billable hour —

Your pay per billable hour —

Super per billable hour —

Tax per billable hour —

Target hourly rate —

Target daily rate —

Two things to keep in mind. First — this is your MINIMUM. Any profit on top of this is how your business actually grows, buys assets, hires people. I'd add at least 15–20% margin on top. Second — if the number looks higher than what you're currently charging... that's not a sign the calculator's wrong. It's a sign you've been undercharging. Which is exactly why I built this thing.

How does this stack up?

See where your calculated rate sits against what tradies in your trade actually charge.

Your trade

This calculator is for guidance only — not financial or tax advice. Talk to a qualified accountant before making major pricing decisions. Full disclosure →

Australian Trade Hourly Rates 2026

Most tradies set their rate by looking at what the bloke down the road charges. Problem is — he might be going broke slowly. This calculator works backwards from your actual costs to find the minimum you need to charge, then shows you where that sits against current market rates.

Average tradie hourly rates in Australia (2026)

Trade	Entry Rate	Market Rate	Premium Rate
Electrician	$95/hr	$125/hr	$175/hr
Plumber	$100/hr	$130/hr	$180/hr
Builder/Carpenter	$85/hr	$110/hr	$160/hr
Painter	$65/hr	$85/hr	$120/hr
Concreter	$80/hr	$110/hr	$150/hr
Landscaper	$70/hr	$95/hr	$130/hr
Roofer	$85/hr	$115/hr	$160/hr
Tiler	$75/hr	$100/hr	$140/hr

Rates based on sole trader/small crew charge-out rates including GST. Metropolitan areas typically sit 10–20% higher than regional. Rates updated July 2026.

How to calculate your charge-out rate

Your charge-out rate isn't what you want to earn per hour — it's what covers ALL your costs plus a margin. The formula: (Annual costs + desired take-home + super + tax) ÷ billable hours = minimum hourly rate. Most tradies only bill 60–70% of their working hours once you factor in travel, quoting, admin, and callbacks.

Why most tradies undercharge

The three biggest mistakes: forgetting vehicle costs ($15,000–$25,000/year for a ute), underestimating non-billable time, and not factoring in super on your own wages. If you're charging less than $90/hour as any licensed trade in 2026, you're almost certainly going backwards once you account for all costs.