Installation, maintenance and repair
Lineman
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
Median pay
$95,320
Growth to 2035
+10%
faster than average
Openings a year
10,900
Time to qualify*
3.8 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Lineman
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
- Required
- Commercial driver's license (CDL, most employers) · Journeyman lineman card
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Lineman: 59% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
- Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
- Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
- 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.
- Replace or straighten damaged poles.
Also called: Class Gloving Electrical Lineman · Class Rubber Gloving Lineman · Electrical Lineman · Electrical Lineworker · Lineworker · Power Lineman · Power Lineman Technician · Service Man
Outlook and AI
Linemen held 131,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 145,500 by 2035 (+10%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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