Blog>Trade>Starting a Business>How much can an appliance repair technician make?
Last updated: 2 January 2025
How much can an appliance repair technician make?
The salary for an appliance repair technician is enticing more tradespeople into the profession. This article outlines what's an average appliance engineer salary and how you can earn more from this line of work.
Many people are keen to save on having to buy new appliances by getting them repaired. Also, environmentally-conscious consumers are opting to repair, recycle and reuse rather than throw away.
In 2023 alone, it’s estimated that in the UK people bought over 60 million small appliances and more than 15 million large appliances.* If you're thinking about a new trade career, then it's worth looking at the range of an appliance service technician salary.
How much does an appliance repair technician make?
As we've said, the salary for an appliance repair technician could give your income a notable boost. If you're new to the profession, an apprentice can earn £13,258 per year.
Running your own appliance repair technician business could be something for you to aim for. For a business owner, an appliance service technician salary could reach £66,377 per year.
That's a big difference, but it shows a very positive career trajectory to aim for.
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Business Costs* | Approximate Take Home Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £6.50 | £52 | £11,414 | £0 | £11,024 |
| Newly Qualified | £10.00 | £80 | £17,560 | £0 | £15,434 |
| Employed | £17.00 | £136 | £35,360 | £0 | £27,538 |
| Sole Trader | £37.50 | £300 | £55,314 | £6,914 | £37,010 |
| Business Owner (ltd company) | £45.00 | £360 | £66,377 | £11,616 | £43,268 |
| *includes estimated costs for business expenses such as vehicle, tools, insurance, fuel etc | |||||
| Last updated: August 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||||
What's the salary for an appliance repair technician as an employee?
First off, let's break down the salary for an appliance repair technician who is employed by a business. For an apprentice, who is just starting to build up their skills, an appliance service technician salary is £13,258 per year.
Moving on, your appliance engineer salary should rise as you gain experience and qualifications. The salary for a newly qualified appliance service technician is £21,441 per year.
You can expect to nearly double your appliance service technician salary as you gain experience. Someone who's qualified and been in the business a while as an employee can make £35,360 per year.
Hourly rates for the salary of an appliance repair technician
A good way to take a closer look at an appliance service technician salary is by its hourly pay rate. Here's a breakdown for you:
Apprentice: £7.55 per hour
Newly qualified: £12.21 per hour
Employed: £17 per hour
Daily rates for an appliance service technician salary
From the hourly rate you can see what you could be earning for an eight-hour day:
Apprentice: £60.40 per day
Newly qualified: £97.68 per day
Employed: £136 per day
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How much do self-employed appliance repair technicians earn?
We're now going to look at how much does an appliance repair technician make by working for themselves. This is where the appliance engineer salary really steps up a gear.
An essential to making sure your appliance repair technician salary is enough to live on is having a good business plan.
How to write a business plan
Why use a business plan for a small business? Every business needs to create a business plan. But what is it? A business plan is a written document that outlines: 1. Where you are now 2. Where you want your business to be in the future 3. How you're going to get there. A clear business plan will
What can you earn as a sole trader?
As a sole trader, you could be earning an appliance service technician salary of £55,314 per year.
Remember, that as a sole trader, you'll have business costs to pay. This can be around £6,914 per year.
You'll find that many sole traders don't stop there with their career ambitions. As your appliance repair trade takes off and you win more work, you might want to expand your business.
Running a limited company
Setting up a limited company is one to help you do this. The salary of an appliance report technician who is the business owner of a limited company, the level goes up to £66,377 per year.
Once again, as you're running your own business you'll face business costs. These can be £11,616 per year.
As a sole trader, you could be earning £300 per day. That compares with £360 per day if you're the boss of your own company.
Earn more as a Checkatrade member
Another important step to build your trade business you can take is by joining a trade association. Checkatrade members receive our help with new enquiries. There are lots of other benefits of Checkatrade membership too.
They include:
Dedicated membership advice team
Work guarantee up to £1,000
Exclusive offers and discounts
Reduced cost of workwear and branding
Savings on other business essentials such as vans, fuel and materials
What do you need to become Checkatrade approved?
Becoming a Checkatrade member comes with a whole host of benefits, but the biggest has to be gaining our seal of approval. Homeowners tend to expect a commitment to quality when it comes to the Checkatrade tick, which can help you to win more business. Here are the checks you'll need to pass to join our directory.
FAQs
Appliance repair technicians are in demand, especially as more people look to repair and reuse appliances rather than replace them
The salary for an appliance repair technician can be significant, depending on your level of experience
The bottom rung for an appliance engineer salary is as an apprentice with the amount you earn going up as you gain experience
How much does an appliance repair make can increase if you set up your own trade business
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* Data sourced from The Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances article "Market Information" (linked here)
