How much to charge as an electrician: hourly rates and service calls (2026)

In the US, electricians usually charge $50 to $130 an hour. A service call that includes the first hour costs the customer $100 to $200. In Canada, about CA$80 to $150 an hour is common, with the first hour at CA$100 to $200. Here's how to set a rate that covers your licence, your van and your time.

How electrical businesses price it

• A service call: covering the first hour, then hourly. Or a separate trip fee of about $40 to $100.
• A minimum: often one or two hours.
• Flat rate by task: outlets, fixtures, panel upgrades and EV chargers, from your price book.
• By licence level: - Apprentices: about $40 to $70 an hour. - Journeymen: $50 to $100. - Masters: $90 to $130 and up.
• Emergencies: about $150 to $200 an hour. In Canada, after-hours work is often 1.5 to 2 times the normal rate.

Work out your own rate

Here's one electrician, employed full time, with a van.

• Labour: electricians earn a median of $30.38 an hour in the US. Payroll taxes and benefits add about 45%. If 70% of paid hours are billed, each billable hour carries $62.90 of pay.
• Running costs: van, tools, stock, insurance, licences and the office. Say $50,000 a year over 1,400 billable hours: about $35.70 an hour.
• Break-even: $98.60 a billable hour. Add 12% profit: about $110 an hour.
• A service call with an hour on site and 30 minutes' drive: 1.5 hours at $98.60, plus 12%, is about $165, including the first hour.

Put in your own numbers with our hourly rate calculator.

What pushes the price up or down

• Licence level, and union or non-union.
• The city: Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary run about CA$100 to $160 an hour.
• Access: through walls, attics and crawl spaces.
• Permits and inspections: about CA$75 to $250 in Canada.

Add-ons worth offering

• A whole-home surge protector: $200 to $800.
• An EV charger: $750 to $2,600 installed.
• GFCI outlets: $150 to $350.

In Canada

• Electricians earn a median of CA$35.00 an hour (Alberta $38, BC $34, Ontario $34).
• Add CPP, EI, vacation pay and workers' compensation to the wage before you do the sum.
• Canadian electrical contractors averaged an 11.9% net profit in 2024.

Put it on a quote

Give options. For a panel upgrade:

• Good: the panel alone.
• Better: the panel and a surge protector.
• Best: the panel, surge protector and an EV charger circuit.

Say whether the permit and inspection are included, and how long the power will be off. In MightyCrews, the customer picks an option and approves it on their phone. Start from the free electrical quote template.

Sources (checked November 2026)

• US prices: HomeGuide (Feb 2026), Fixr (Jan 2025).
• Canadian prices: HomeStars (Aug 2026).
• Pay: US Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 pay; June 2026 employer costs) and Canada's Job Bank.
• Profit: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 2024 data.