That is high pay for a job BLS lists as needing only a high school diploma plus long-term training. It is also one of the most dangerous: BLS says linemen work with high-voltage electricity, often at great heights, and some work more than 40 hours a week. The figures here are straight-time pay, so storm and overtime pay come on top.

How much do linemen make?

BLS counted 131,070 power-line installer and repairer jobs in May 2025. Their pay spread:

Measure (May 2025) Annual Hourly
Lowest 10% earned less than $51,470
25th percentile $67,270
Median $95,320 $45.83
Average (mean) $91,970 $44.22
75th percentile $109,740
Top 10% earned more than $128,690

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, occupation 49-9051, from the BLS national data file downloaded October 27, 2026.

Unusually, the median is higher than the average. That points to a long tail of lower-paid workers below a large group of well-paid linemen; the employer table below shows contractor crews earn much less than utility linemen.

Lineman vs electrician and telecom lineman pay

Job (BLS title) Jobs Median, May 2025 Average
Powerhouse, substation and relay electrical repairers 20,720 $103,020 $100,760
Electrical power-line installers and repairers 131,070 $95,320 $91,970
Telecommunications line installers and repairers 97,720 $74,330 $73,940
Electricians 757,220 $63,190 $71,490

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national estimates.

A power lineman at the median earns about $32,000 more than an electrician and about $21,000 more than a telecom lineman, who works on phone, cable and fiber lines. BLS does not split out apprentice, journeyman or foreman pay; the lowest 10% figure, $51,470, is the closest guide to apprentice wages. See our electrician salary guide for building electricians.

Lineman salary by state

BLS WAGE DATA · MAY 2025

Lineman salary by state

Median annual wage and number of jobs in each state for electrical power-line installers and repairers, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national median is $95,320.

Color the map by
Alabama: $92,030 medianALAlaska: $92,470 medianAKArizona: $75,420 medianAZArkansas: $81,450 medianARCalifornia: $129,040 medianCAColorado: $103,980 medianCOConnecticut: $126,850 medianDelaware: $97,180 medianFlorida: $86,870 medianFLGeorgia: $80,080 medianGAHawaii: $134,340 medianHIIdaho: $125,410 medianIDIllinois: $108,120 medianILIndiana: $102,040 medianINIowa: $100,200 medianIAKansas: $101,620 medianKSKentucky: $77,020 medianKYLouisiana: $76,410 medianLAMaine: $83,090 medianMEMaryland: $106,090 medianMassachusetts: $110,210 medianMichigan: $106,890 medianMIMinnesota: $104,180 medianMNMississippi: $75,890 medianMSMissouri: $96,360 medianMOMontana: $110,320 medianMTNebraska: $92,150 medianNENevada: $96,560 medianNVNew Hampshire: $102,170 medianNHNew Jersey: $121,580 medianNew Mexico: $76,470 medianNMNew York: $121,280 medianNYNorth Carolina: $77,270 medianNCNorth Dakota: $105,870 medianNDOhio: $93,150 medianOHOklahoma: $76,010 medianOKOregon: $131,090 medianORPennsylvania: $106,230 medianPARhode Island: $104,620 medianSouth Carolina: $76,870 medianSCSouth Dakota: $97,310 medianSDTennessee: $83,660 medianTNTexas: $78,940 medianTXUtah: $101,220 medianUTVermont: $108,520 medianVTVirginia: $76,590 medianVAWashington: $133,060 medianWAWashington, D.C.: $101,240 medianWest Virginia: $83,810 medianWVWisconsin: $105,820 medianWIWyoming: $93,860 medianWY
Small states
Under $80K$80K to $90K$90K to $100K$100K to $110K$110K+No BLS estimate
WASHINGTON · MAY 2025$133,060median annual wage, #2 of 51 with a figure
THE DETAIL$122,100 average · 2,340 jobsBureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Click or tap a state, or use Tab and Enter. These are wages paid in May 2025 to electrical power-line installers and repairers, BLS occupation 49-9051. BLS counts straight-time pay, so overtime is not included.

All 51 state figures
Electrical power-line installers and repairers pay by state, May 2025
StateMedianAverageJobs
$134,340$118,110600
$133,060$122,1002,340
$131,090$123,4901,640
$129,040$125,2708,930
$126,850$107,700940
$125,410$113,480860
$121,580$109,3901,310
$121,280$108,0305,840
$110,320$103,000680
$110,210$108,0402,350
$108,520$108,630270
$108,120$107,8203,090
$106,890$103,6802,800
$106,230$101,9704,150
$106,090$97,4501,830
$105,870$99,510740
$105,820$96,3502,520
$104,620$103,110120
$104,180$101,8602,190
$103,980$97,7702,370
$102,170$100,240560
$102,040$91,1902,540
$101,620$92,1501,610
$101,240$104,050150
$101,220$93,2001,030
$100,200$92,7401,390
$97,310$94,900740
$97,180$91,660330
$96,560$96,380920
$96,360$89,5803,440
$93,860$88,790670
$93,150$88,3304,260
$92,470$92,220490
$92,150$87,8001,490
$92,030$82,4602,730
$86,870$84,9006,420
$83,810$85,0001,260
$83,660$82,9703,900
$83,090$86,3201,160
$81,450$83,1001,510
$80,080$81,8904,960
$78,940$78,67017,280
$77,270$77,5705,650
$77,020$75,7102,930
$76,870$75,3902,690
$76,590$78,4302,920
$76,470$74,5301,020
$76,410$77,5702,520
$76,010$78,3603,290
$75,890$71,5802,290
$75,420$83,2103,360

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9051, from the BLS state data file downloaded October 27, 2026. Boundaries: US Census via us-atlas.

The 10 states with the highest median pay in May 2025:

State Median wage, May 2025 Lineman jobs
Hawaii $134,340 600
Washington $133,060 2,340
Oregon $131,090 1,640
California $129,040 8,930
Connecticut $126,850 940
Idaho $125,410 860
New Jersey $121,580 1,310
New York $121,280 5,840
Montana $110,320 680
Massachusetts $110,210 2,350

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

The lowest state medians were Arizona ($75,420), Mississippi ($75,890), Oklahoma ($76,010), Louisiana ($76,410) and New Mexico ($76,470). A Hawaii lineman at the median earned about 1.8 times as much as one in Arizona, a smaller gap than for electricians or firefighters.

Texas has by far the most linemen, 17,280, at a median of $78,940, below the national figure. California (8,930 jobs, $129,040), Florida (6,420, $86,870) and New York (5,840, $121,280) come next.

Highest-paying metro areas for linemen

Metro area Median wage, May 2025 Lineman jobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $134,150 1,010
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $130,440 2,140
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $128,750 1,580
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $123,430 1,830
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $122,480 3,850
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $119,460 1,420
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $111,490 1,550
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $106,840 1,130
Pittsburgh, PA $105,590 1,030
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $96,240 1,370

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan areas with at least 1,000 lineman jobs. Smaller metros pay more in places: San Jose's median was $157,620 for 300 jobs.

The lowest-paid big markets were Phoenix ($75,420), Dallas ($77,910) and San Antonio ($78,030).

Lineman salary by employer

Industry Jobs Median wage, May 2025
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution (utilities) 62,470 $102,550
Utility system construction (line contractors) 38,990 $76,060
Local government (including city-owned utilities) 13,150 $90,060
Building equipment contractors 7,660 $76,250
Natural gas distribution 2,830 $137,360
Federal government 1,870 $111,900

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry estimates.

The employer matters as much as the state. Linemen at power utilities earned about $26,500 more at the median than those at line construction contractors. The best-paid group works at natural gas distribution companies, at $137,360, though it is small.

Job outlook for linemen

BLS projects employment of electrical power-line installers and repairers to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, from 131,900 to 145,500 jobs, much faster than the average for all occupations. It expects about 10,900 openings a year, from new jobs and from linemen who retire or leave.

How to become a lineman

Linemen typically need a high school diploma, then technical instruction and long-term on-the-job training, according to BLS. Most complete apprenticeships or employer programs lasting up to 3 years, sometimes run jointly with the union. Entry can require a year of high school algebra, an aptitude test, a drug screen and a fitness test.

How I checked these numbers

Every pay and job figure comes from the BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data files, which I downloaded on October 27, 2026, for occupation 49-9051. Outlook and training details come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. BLS pay excludes overtime, storm pay and benefits.

Related reading

Sources & methodology

Observations retain their source, period and definition. Uncertainty is preserved; missing values are not zero.

  1. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: national, state and metropolitan area data files (BLS) ↗

    BLS

    Accessed 2026-10-25.

  2. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Line Installers and Repairers (BLS) ↗

    BLS

    Accessed 2026-10-27.