Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
Also called: Class Gloving Electrical Lineman · Class Rubber Gloving Lineman · Electrical Lineman · Electrical Lineworker · Lineworker · Power Lineman
Median pay (national)
$92,560
$50,020–$126,610 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
123,680
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+6.6%
~10,700 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for electrical power-line installers and repairers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $126,610 versus $50,020 at the bottom 10% — 2.5x. The median of $92,560 leaves roughly 37% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +6.6% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 10,700 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $125,710, +36% vs the national median), while Guam sits lowest at $47,770 — a 163% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
- Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
- Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
- Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.
- Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers.
- Travel in trucks, helicopters, and airplanes to inspect lines for freedom from obstruction and adequacy of insulation.
- Identify defective sectionalizing devices, circuit breakers, fuses, voltage regulators, transformers, switches, relays, or wiring, using wiring diagrams and electrical-testing instruments.
- Cut trenches for laying underground cables, using trenchers and cable plows.
- String wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension.
- Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
Tools & technology
- Bentley MicroStation
- Zoom
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Global positioning system GPS software
- Email software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Building and Construction
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design