pay rate

Depends, if you are an employee of a contractor, figure $12-25hr depending on skill and experience level, insured contractors bill between $60 & $100. Most yards (especially Lauderdale Marine Center) will require you to submit proof of insurance with them as a named insured before they let you in the gate.

I own a Yacht Management business in Fort Lauderdale and the 2 seperate marine electricians I use are right around $100 an hour.

Electronics installers can be found between $60 and $100 as well, actually, some can be found even cheaper if they are a dealer for the gear being installed because they are making some money there as well.

Seems to be a little confusion between electrician and electronics tech. Which are you asking about pbekker?

Greetings Pascal. I won't comment on pay rate in So. Florida since I'm in NY. You should be aware though that in most places in the U.S. electricians need to be licensed. You also have electricians and master electricians with different pay scales. Also, most ETs charge "travel time" as well as actual time worked because they often travel a bit of distance. The last ET I used had to travel 1 1/2 hours each way (The 2 more local are garbage). Electricians are usually more local and often do not charge travel time.

And dare I add.... be eligible to work in the USA.

Well, depending on the clients requirements, if they're not worried about insurance, licenses (there isn't anybody checking credentials or "code enforcement" on the vast majority of private boats) or immigration status, there are plenty of people to be found in the US who will do any work you please for $10-$25 hr. That's the typical going rate for illegal day workers depending on skill set, and there is no shortage of skilled ones (and extremely unskilled ones as well as outright crooks) in So. Fla.

Good point K1W1. If not legal, no insurance, no electricians license, no driver's license, no yards (that I know of) that will let him work on their property. There may be boats that will cheap out and hire illegals to wash & wax, but they'd be crazy to let them mess with their electric or their electronics with no licenses or insurance. That could cost them their boat.

Anybody care to chime in with information about the license these electricians are supposed to have to work on boats?

In NY all electricians must be licensed or work (apprentice) under a master electrician. Is it different in Florida? I know that yards will have their guys doing electrical, but that's different than setting up shop.

nycap are you referring to commercial electricians (ie; household/business) or marine electricians? I am not aware of any state requiring a liscense for an electrician on a boat as long as no work is done on the land side. It is obviously prudent to look into any electricians credentials and background prior to letting them work on your boat.

Not sure how much difference there is regarding setting up shop (working for someone else will require a green card). The guys I've used are either the yards or licensed. Either way they were backed by insurance. At least in this area there is no such thing as a "marine electrician" except that service the ships down in NYC, and I suspect that ABYC is not their company's only certification. Never heard of such an animal working the private boats. There are however licensed electricians who are also ABYC certified and promote themselves as marine electricians, but that's not their only work nor the only work they are licensed for.

I believe you will discover that New York State does not license electricians. There is no State electrician's license or State licensing authority.

Electricians who work on shoreside installations may require local certification.

There is no such thing as a marine electricians license in the US.

The USCG has an unlicensed rating for electricians, an engineer's license includes the certification for electrician but requires little if any real training or experience in electrical work.

ABYC is a voluntary standards organization that has no regulatory standing except when included by reference in USCG standards. ABYC certifies individuals who have passed an examination in ABYC standards. This does not mean they have a great deal of hands on experience, just that they took the ABYC course and know the rule book.

The FCC requires licensing of those who perform "internal adjustments" of radio transmitters. There is no requirement for a license to install radio equipment, just to adjust, maintain, or certify the installation and that license (the GROL) is easily obtained by anyone with a bit of electronics background. Anyone can legally install modern "plug and play" equipment without holding any form of license.

I believe you will discover that New York State does not license electricians. There is no State electrician's license or State licensing authority.
Absolutely right. Electrical licenses are generally at the county level and sometimes the town or city because each has their own codes, but DK any here that don't require it. Again, could be different elsewhere, but I'd be surprised if it were different in Dade or Broward (or maybe not).

We are not talking about house electricians. Don't keep bringing house electricians into the discussion, they are no more relevant to this topic than an auto mechanic or plumber's certification. Terrestrial buildng codes don't apply to the marine world.

If you don't have knowledge of the industry or the requirements to work on marine electrical and/or electronic systems please just keep silent rather than provide irrelevant and misleading misinformation.