Contractor hourly rate calculator
Pick a trade and where you live to see a typical hourly labour range. This is the rate a company bills for time on site — not a wage, and not the whole bill.
Electrician — Texas
Typical hourly labour range
$80 – $125 / hour
Most routine, scheduled work lands in the middle of that: $90 – $115. Emergency, after-hours and specialty work sits at or above the top.
Licensed electricians often bill a service call or first-hour charge, then hourly. Panel and service work is commonly fixed-price.
These ranges are planning benchmarks drawn from published cost research and from the quotes and bills people run through What's Normal?. They get sharper as more people check their documents. They are not a contractor bid — your real price depends on materials, location, labour, complexity, access, permits and removal.
How this calculator works
Each trade has a broad national labour range, adjusted by a regional factor for the state or province you pick. Higher-cost labour markets shift the whole range up; lower-cost ones shift it down. Results are rounded to the nearest five, because pretending to know a plumber's rate in your county to the dollar would be a lie.
Within any one state, a downtown company with a fleet and a dispatcher will sit near the top and an owner-operator in a small town near the bottom. Both can be entirely fair.
What the hourly rate is not
It isn't a wage. The rate carries insurance, licensing, bonding, a vehicle, fuel, tools, software, training, warranty callbacks and the unbilled hours spent quoting jobs that never happen.
It isn't your bill. Parts and materials, usually with markup, sit on top — along with trip or service fees, minimum charges, permits, disposal and tax.
It isn't always how you'll be charged. Plenty of companies quote flat rates per job, and roofing and remodelling are usually priced by the project, not the hour.
What can affect the actual rate you're quoted?
Licensing level. A licensed journeyperson or master tradesperson bills more than an apprentice, and some jurisdictions require licensed work for anything touching gas, electrical service or main plumbing.
Time of day. Nights, weekends, holidays and same-day emergencies carry premiums.
Company size. A larger shop with dispatch, warranty and 24-hour cover has more overhead in its rate — and often more behind it if something goes wrong.
Travel. Rural and remote work often carries mileage or a larger trip fee, and northern and island regions run higher across the board.
Minimums. A one-hour or two-hour minimum means a fifteen-minute fix still costs the minimum.
Demand. After a storm, or in the first cold week of the year, rates and availability both move.
Using this on an actual bill
If a bill shows hours and a rate, multiply them and see what's left. That remainder should be explainable as parts, fees, permits and tax. If it isn't, you have a specific question to ask rather than a vague feeling that the number is high — and how to tell if a bill is too high covers what to do next.
Common questions
Is the hourly rate what the tradesperson earns?
No. A shop rate covers wages plus insurance, licensing, vehicles, fuel, tools, training, office and scheduling staff, warranty work, unbilled travel and the hours nobody paid for. The person doing the work usually takes home a fraction of it.
Why do emergency and after-hours calls cost more?
Someone is being paid overtime and pulled away from scheduled work. Expect a higher hourly rate, a larger call-out fee, or both — evenings, weekends and holidays are commonly priced at a premium.
Why did I get a flat price instead of an hourly rate?
Many trades price common jobs as flat rates so you know the number before work starts and they carry the risk if it takes longer. Flat rate isn't a red flag on its own — but the quote should still say exactly what's included.
What's a service call or trip fee?
A charge for showing up and diagnosing, often covering the first period of time on site. Some companies credit it toward the repair if you approve the work. Ask which before you book.
Is the rate per person or per crew?
Always worth asking. A two-person crew at an hourly rate each is double what you may have assumed. Apprentice hours are often billed at a lower rate than a licensed journeyperson's.
Why is my final bill more than hours times rate?
Because labour is only one line. Materials and parts with markup, trip or service fees, minimum charges, permits, disposal and taxes all sit on top. If the maths doesn't work, ask for an itemised breakdown.
Have an actual quote in front of you?
What's Normal? can give you a second opinion. Upload the bill, quote or estimate and get a plain-English read on what the price is made of and what stands out.
Check your quoteRelated
Cost per square foot calculator — for projects priced by area rather than by the hour.
Questions to ask — the questions that make someone explain their rate.
Quote checklist — whether your quote states the labour basis at all.
Pricing guides by trade — plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing and more.
Free tool by What's Normal? — free to use and free to link to.