Electrical work is licensed in every country on this site, which limits cross-border movement somewhat, and it is in shortage in most of them, which pushes pay upwards where the labour market is tight.
The figures below assume an employed, fully qualified electrician at mid-career, on a single person basis. Self-employment is very common in this trade and changes the position considerably.
The ranking after tax
Federal deductions only; state or provincial tax is charged on top. † Foreign employees pay no CPF, so a local resident keeps less. ‡ Cantonal tax is an estimated average; the real figure depends on the commune. § Excludes the 13th and 14th salary payments, which are taxed at 6%. Converted at rates current when this guide was written.
Why the trades do so well in Australia
Australian construction and resources demand, combined with strong enterprise bargaining in the sector, has produced trade wages that are high in absolute terms and close to professional salaries. Site allowances, overtime and travel payments add further, and the income tax system does not reach its higher rates until a level well above this salary.
Switzerland shows a similar pattern for different reasons: high wage levels across the whole economy and modest income taxation, offset by living costs that are among the highest anywhere.
Where employed becomes self-employed
Electricians move between employment and self-employment more readily than most occupations, and the tax treatment diverges sharply.
- Deductible expenses become available: tools, van, protective clothing, insurance, certification and a proportion of home costs where a workshop is kept.
- Favourable small business regimes apply in several countries, notably the Italian regime forfettario and the French micro-entrepreneur system, both of which are dramatically better than employment at modest turnover.
- Both halves of social contributions fall on the individual where the system charges them, though self-employed rates are frequently lower than the combined employed rate.
- Unpaid time and cover disappear. No sick pay, no holiday pay, no employer pension contribution. See freelance or employed.
Overtime is a large part of the package
Overtime, call-out and shift payments make up a meaningful share of electricians' earnings in most countries, and they are taxed as ordinary income everywhere on this list. The widespread belief that overtime attracts a higher rate is a withholding artefact rather than a rule, explained in does overtime get taxed more.
What is true is that concentrated overtime can push monthly earnings into a higher band in non-cumulative payroll systems, producing over-deduction that is corrected later. In the United Kingdom the opposite effect applies to National Insurance, where a high earning month is partly charged at 2%, described in National Insurance thresholds.
Related: Truck Driver Salary After Tax