Here in the Houston area the rates for a service call will range from $50 to $80 per hour. A union electrician will make from $21 to $26 on his check, and I couldn't tell you what his benefits will cost. A nonunion electrician will get around $18 to $23 on his check, and it is a "toss up" as to whether he gets benefits.
If you get into a plant, manufacturing environment, etc. the pay scale can go way up. If you know PLC's, instrumentation, or something that requires specialized training, you can almost write your own ticket. A good friend of mine made from $90 to $100K per year working in a plant. He's a big Allen Bradely "PLC guru". I've never seen anything that he couldn't fix. Drives, magnetic rely logic, PLC's, you name it, he could work on it. The thing about him was, he could run the conduit, pull the wire, terminate it, program it, and make it run. I would imagine that he is in the top 3 to 5 percent of the the best electricians in Houston. If you ever get your hands on an electrician like that, don't let him go. I taught him how to estimate a few years ago, and I honestly believe that there are not many things in the electrical industry that he can't do.
rowd,
I said all that to say this...the question is "How much is the electrician that you are looking for, worth?" Good Luck.
Bling, bling, or Chaching, ching,
Doc
