WA SPARKY RATES
Find out who's paying what and compare what you're earning. Know your worth and join the ETU in pushing pay, conditions, and safety up.
Find out who's paying what and compare what you're earning. Know your worth and join the ETU in pushing pay, conditions, and safety up.
If you've ever had a problem at work, you'll understand why unions exist. If you don't have problems at work, it's because unions exist. It's because others have fought to ensure that you have many of the things we take for granted in our working life today. But those things are not necessarily there forever if we don't keep up the fight.
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) is made up of groups of workers who have organised themselves into the union to solve problems that they can't solve on their own. We know that as a group, we have more power than individuals and with that power we can put pressure on employers to respond to the issues that concern us in our working lives.
The ETU is made up of workers like you, who want to defend and improve their working conditions and play their role in maintaining a good standard of living for themselves, their families, and our community as a whole.
The ETU sits on many boards like the electrical licensing board, Standards Australia, WHS, etc. We make sure that our trade and licence are not eroded and that our workplaces remain safe. Businesses are constantly attacking the very things that make our trade safe and keep the end users of electricity—the public—safe.
Meet some of our members and hear about the benefits of joining the ETU WA Branch.
Stage 1 of the plant will produce 150,000 cubic metres (150 million litres) of drinking water per day, equivalent to over 50 billion litres annually. First water production is planned for 2028. There is a provision for a future Stage 2 expansion doubling capacity to 300,000 cubic metres per day (100 billion litres annually).
Electrician
- $59.36/hr + $4.50/hr Site + $19/wk Tool + $40/day Travel
- Protect IP up to $2,200/wk & Severance $110/wk
- 54hrs per week Mon - Fri, optional Saturday if available
- Weekly Gross $4,201 - Annual Gross $218,487
- Link to EBA
Monadelphous has been awarded contracts for BHP's Car Dumper 3 Replacement Project. This marks the second enterprise agreement in the Pilbara to secure a two-weeks-on, one-week-off roster for FIFO workers, following the precedent set by the UGL CO2 agreement.
Electrician
- $56.45/hr + $4.50/hr Site
- Protect IP up to $2,000/wk & Severance $108.82/wk
- 14/7 roster, 11.5hr Shifts Paid
- Weekly Gross $6,854 - Annual Gross $238,258
- Weekly Gross Average (over 52wks) $4,582
- Link to EBA
Construction unions have for the first time secured a two-weeks-on, one-week-off roster for fly-in-fly-out workers in the Pilbara in a landmark deal they will push to extend to the rest of the resources industry.
UGL agreed to the short swing for Chevron's Gorgon carbon project on Barrow Island.
Electrician
- $56.29/hr + $5.40/hr Site
- Protect IP up to $2,773/wk & Severance $250/wk
- 15/6 roster, 12hr Shifts Paid
- Weekly Gross $7,321 - Annual Gross $252,219
- Link to EBA
AGL is expanding the Kwinana power station by 220 MW with 4 x 55 MW open-cycle, dual-fuel gas turbines, built alongside the existing K1 Swift plant.
Work on this project is expected to be completed by Q2 2028.
Electrician
- $59.36/hr + $3.50/hr Site + $19/wk Tool + $40/day Travel
- Protect IP up to $2,200/wk & Severance $110/wk
- 58hrs per week Mon - Sat once project is in full swing.
- Weekly Gross $4,577 - Annual Gross $238,014
- Link to EBA
In April 2023, Water Corp awarded the contract for this project, which involves a joint venture of Clough Projects, Jacobs Engineering, and Water Corporation—called Integrate.
Work on this project is expected to be completed by late 2027.
Electrician
- $59.36/hr + $4.20/hr Site + $19/wk Tool + $36.40/day Travel
- Protect IP up to $2,200/wk & Severance $110/wk
- 54hrs per week Mon - Fri, optional Saturday if available
- Weekly Gross $4,167 - Annual Gross $216,709
- Link to EBA
Click on the flyer title to open a rates flyer. Flyers can be shared directly or printed and shared physically.
ETU membership gives workers a powerful collective voice to negotiate better wages, benefits, and working conditions. As an ETU member, you are not alone—together, workers can fight for fair treatment, job security, and respect on the job. The ETU protects your rights, holds employers accountable, and ensures you have a say in decisions that affect your work and life. There are also additional benefits that members can access, and they are listed on the Member Benefits Flyer.
Recently we have found a number of apprentices who are paid under the Electrical, Electronic & Communications Contracting Award 2020 and haven't received the appropriate rates of pay or the correct allowances that they're entitled to.
Make sure you know what your 'real' rate is when working on flat or casual rates. Taking into account your hours of work per week is crucial in determining what the equivalent permanent, full-time hourly rate is by comparison for those worked hours.
Everett Smith, Fredon, and Nilsen members have locked in industry rates and conditions for the commercial sector. This is what unity delivers! This should be an example of what can be achieved, and workers in the NW should expect no less.
Everett Smith has won the electrical scope for the Bunbury Hospital Redevelopment Project. ES has contracted ERG Electrics to complete the ES scope of work. The ETU has struck a deal to ensure that the ERG electricians get paid not less than ES electricians. This deal will deliver city block rates on a major project in the South West. It pays to be an ETU member!
The ETU is campaigning for an overall uplift of rates and conditions via an "industry-standard" Enterprise Agreement, and we've had some good wins recently with Fredon and Everett-Smith. UNION DENSITY within the workplace is KEY to this campaign. If you're not a member yet, do yourself and your sector a favour by sharing the responsibility of fighting for better wages and benefits.
Members have secured great new EBAs in the commercial sector with 5% per year each year for the 4-year deal. How does yours compare?
The ETU has been working hard with our members to get the Tier 2 contractors covered by an EBA. How does yours compare?
ETU has secured a new Greenfields EBA for the Synergy Collie BESS project paying nearly on par with Pluto 2 and with a better roster. The ETU will continue to not sign EBAs that are not up to scratch and we hope other unions do the same.
Companies continue to pay well below what is fair for working in some of the harshest conditions. This will continue until workers realise that the only way to fix this is through unionism.
Members have managed to push rates in the right direction, but the job is far from done. We still have many companies getting agreements voted up with zero union influence and electricians who undervalue their worth.
Members at a few of the Southwest manufacturing sites have got decent agreements across the line. If you work in the Manufacturing Food & Beverage industry and would like to improve your wages and conditions, contact your organiser or the office to get the ball rolling.
Members at most of the key mines and refineries in the Southwest have managed to get good agreements up. There are only a couple left to come to the realisation that the only way to beat the capitalist is through unity.
As the energy transition accelerates, it is critical that members stand firm to protect and uphold fair rates and conditions across all renewable energy operations.
Rates comparison for supply sector maintenance direct hires - electricity - gas - water.
Members have for the first time on some platforms united to usher in agreements setting the standard for the oil and gas industry. Solidarity wins again.
WA Rates' free worker wage calculator provides you with an online user-friendly tool for estimating your earnings. This tool empowers workers to make informed financial decisions by providing valuable insights into your potential income based on different variables. Many workers underestimate what they earn in relation to time worked.
Do not fall into the trap of working bulk hours when you can earn just as much on jobs with higher hourly rates, giving you more time off to enjoy life.
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Compare flat rate pay structures against penalty rate equivalents to ensure your total pay properly reflects overtime, weekend rates, and statutory entitlements.
The more hours you work, the lower your equivalent rate plus penalties will be.
From July 2026 to July 2027 the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award (MA000025) rate for an Electrical worker grade 5 | Full-time all-purpose is, $32.19 per hour. If the full-time rate displayed in the calculator is below this, you are paid below the award which is illegal.
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| Gross Earnings: | $0.00 |
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| Super on All Hours: | $0.00 |
| Casual Penalty Rate Equivalent: | $0.00 / hr |
| Full Time Penalty Rate Equivalent: | $0.00 / hr |
The chart clearly demonstrates why workers need to stand together, join their Union, and collectively fight for better wages and conditions. Company profits have continued to increase year after year, while workers' share has failed to keep pace. The balance has shifted too far in one direction — it's time for workers to demand a fairer share of the value they help create.
In March 2001, profits and wages were at the same point — both indexed at 100. Fast-forward to Dec 2025; Profits: 405; Wages: 242. That's not a small gap — that's a profit surge of 405% compared to a wage rise of only 242%. Profits have outpaced wages by 163% in the same period. This trend isn't new. Year after year, the data shows the same thing: Corporate profits have exploded, while wages have not even kept pace with inflation.
Businesses and politicians are always eager to debate what workers should be paid, how much of a pay rise they should receive, and why wages supposedly need to be kept “under control”. Yet there is rarely the same concern when it comes to rising profits.
Workers' wages are constantly scrutinised, restrained and blamed for economic pressures, while growing profits are too often treated as simply the reward for doing business.
If we're going to have a serious conversation about keeping wages “in control”, then we should be equally willing to have a serious conversation about profits and how the wealth workers help create is shared.
It does not matter which political party is in power. Politicians will never change the laws to truly benefit workers. There is only one tried and tested way to win better wages and conditions, and that's Unity.