Australian tradespeople charge more per hour than last year, but most feel it doesn’t mean they earn an above-average pay packet.

Trade service website ServiceSeeking.com.au reported on Tuesday that Australian tradies increased their hourly rates by an average of 1.4 per cent in April-June 2016 compared to the same time last year.

The average price of a tradie per hour in Australia rose to $61.65 in the fourth quarter of the 2015-2016 financial year. It was $60.77 for the corresponding period last year.

The survey found 84 per cent of trades business owners earned below $100,000 per year, with most of those in the $50,000 to $100,000 per year bracket.

Housing Industry Association (HIA) chief economist Dr Harley Dale told The New Daily trades wages were booming.

“You’ll generally see that trade rates grow faster in residential construction than what is a quite muted wage growth across the wider economy,” Dr Dale said.

Tradies wages are growing fast, experts say. Photo: Getty

“That growth pressure in residential construction is driven by a shortage of trades in areas like Victoria, New South Wales and corners of Queensland.”

The trade categories charging the highest per hour rates were electricians and plumbers.

Electricians charged an average of $75.56 per hour across Australia, while plumbers demanded $80.92.

The plumbing price increase was a 4 per cent rise and the electrician price hike boosted fees by 5.4 per cent.

“These are very important skilled trades where you have got a record level of home building and they all need plumbing and electrical,” Dr Dale said.

Plumbing is a lucrative trade, according to the survey. Photo: Getty

“At the same time you also are seeing a bit of growth in renovations. A lot of those involve kitchens and bathrooms, which naturally need plumbing and electrician work.”

Carpenters had the biggest hike, raising their prices by 7.7 per cent to $56.45 on average per hour.

Flooring ($39.05) and painting ($42.56) were the least lucrative trades across Australia, according to ServiceSeeking.com.au‘s data.