State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers is $95,320 a year ($45.83/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 6.6% through 2034, with about 10,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 49-9051Installation, Maintenance, and RepairLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $95,320
- Projected growth
- +6.6%
- Openings a year
- 10,700
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Class Gloving Electrical Lineman, Class Rubber Gloving Lineman, Electrical Lineman, Electrical Lineworker, Lineworker, Power Lineman.
How much do Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers make?
10th percentile$51,470
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$67,270
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$95,320
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$109,740
Upper quartile
90th percentile$128,690
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $95,320 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $45.83/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $91,970 |
| People employed | 131,070 |
Versus all US occupations
At $95,320, Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers earn 87% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $44,340 a year.
Versus installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
Inside the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair group, where the middle occupation pays $60,460, this is 58% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $128,690 or more while the bottom 10% earn $51,470, a gap of 2.5×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 75% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Hawaii posts the highest raw median ($134,340), but once local prices are taken into account Idaho leads at $131,328 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $134,340 | $122,182 | 600 |
| Washington | $133,060 | $124,340 | 2,340 |
| Oregon | $131,090 | $126,827 | 1,640 |
| California | $129,040 | $116,546 | 8,930 |
| Connecticut | $126,850 | $122,430 | 940 |
| Idaho | $125,410 | $131,328 | 860 |
| New Jersey | $121,580 | $111,741 | 1,310 |
| New York | $121,280 | $112,378 | 5,840 |
| Montana | $110,320 | $116,562 | 680 |
| Massachusetts | $110,210 | $104,211 | 2,350 |
Is Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer a growing career?
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers6.6%
All US occupations3.1%
+6.6% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers to change 6.6% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.1× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 8,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 10,700 openings are projected each year, 8.4% of the 127,400 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
How to become an Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer
To enter the occupation, electrical power-line installers and repairers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. To become proficient, they typically need technical instruction and on-the-job training. Apprenticeships are common.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Long-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as electrical power-line installers and repairers.
- High School Diploma50.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate18.9%
- Less than a High School Diploma18.1%
- Some College Courses9.9%
- First Professional Degree2.8%
What does an Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer do?
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
Electrical power-line installers and repairers install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. They also may erect poles or transmission towers.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
- Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers.
- Replace or straighten damaged poles.
- Install watt-hour meters and connect service drops between power lines and consumers' facilities.
- Trim trees that could be hazardous to the functioning of cables or wires.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where electrical power-line installers and repairers work
| Utilities | 48% |
|---|---|
| Utility system construction | 30% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 10% |
| Specialty trade contractors | 6% |
| Federal government | 2% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.4/5
- Monitoring3.3/5
- Critical Thinking3.1/5
- Reading Comprehension3.0/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
- Speaking2.9/5
- Learning Strategies2.8/5
- Writing2.5/5
Transferable skills
- Troubleshooting3.4/5
- Operations Monitoring3.3/5
- Operation and Control3.3/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Repairing3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Geographic information system
- Mobile location based services software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative2.7
Artistic1.0
Social1.3
Enterprising1.8
Conventionalprimary3.8
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer: frequently asked questions
How much do Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers make?
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers earn a median of $95,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 87% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $45.83/hr. The middle half earn between $67,270 and $109,740. The top 10% earn $128,690 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 50.3% hold high school diploma.
Is Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 6.6% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 10,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer do?
Electrical power-line installers and repairers install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. A core O*NET task: adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers the most?
The highest state medians for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers are Hawaii ($134,340), Washington ($133,060), Oregon ($131,090) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Idaho moves to the top at $131,328.
What personality type suits an Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer?
O*NET scores Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.