Lineman
You build and fix the high-voltage power lines that keep the lights on, up on poles and towers in any weather, for pay that can top six figures with overtime.
Also called: Power lineman, Lineworker, Line worker, Outside lineman, Electrical power-line installer and repairer, Journeyman lineman, Power line technician, Line installer and repairer
What it pays
Strong pay for a no-degree trade. The U.S. median was $92,560/yr in May 2024 per BLS for electrical power-line installers and repairers. The bottom 10% earned less than $50,020 and the top 10% more than $126,610 (before storm overtime). Experienced journeymen, especially union and storm-chasing ones, routinely clear $100k-$150k+ in heavy-overtime years. Apprentices earn while they learn, with a raise at each step.
Overtime is huge in this trade and is often time-and-a-half or double-time on emergencies. Union (IBEW/NECA outside) work runs on a published wage scale, typically with employer-paid health insurance and pension contributions. Storm restoration is the big money: per diem commonly runs $75-$200/day plus paid travel and lodging, and a strong storm week can gross roughly $5,000-$12,000+. Pay varies a lot by region, by utility vs. contractor, and union vs. non-union, so look up your local IBEW wage sheet or the utility's posted scale for real numbers.
What they do
A lineman builds, maintains, and repairs the electrical power grid: the wires, poles, transmission towers, transformers, and substations that carry electricity from power plants to homes and businesses. When a storm knocks out power, linemen are the ones who go out, often in the dark and in bad weather, and put it back. They climb poles with hooks and a belt, work out of bucket trucks, set new poles, string conductor (the wire), and connect transformers. A lot of this work is done on or near live, high-voltage lines, which is exactly what makes it both well-paid and genuinely dangerous.
There are two different worlds people mean by "lineman," and it matters which one you're aiming for. Outside (distribution and transmission) linemen work on the public power grid: utility poles along the road, big steel transmission towers across the countryside, and substations. This is the high-voltage, storm-restoration, high-pay version most people picture, and it is the focus of this guide. The other world is telecom/fiber and low-voltage "inside" line work, which is related but runs lower voltage and usually pays less. Don't confuse a power lineman with an inside electrician (who wires buildings) or a telecom line installer (who runs phone/cable/fiber). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics actually tracks power-line work as its own occupation, "electrical power-line installers and repairers," separate from telecom line installers, and the pay difference between the two is large.
Who hires linemen: investor-owned electric utilities (your local power company), rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, line-construction contractors who build and rebuild lines for the utilities, and some railroads and large industrial sites. The grid is aging, the country is adding data centers, EV charging, and renewable generation, and a meaningful share of the existing workforce is near retirement. That combination means steady demand and strong job security for people willing to do the work.
This is a hands-on, weather-exposed, physically demanding trade with no college degree required. You typically start as a groundman (also spelled "groundhand") or apprentice, earn while you learn over roughly 3.5 to 4 years, and come out a journeyman lineman making strong money. The trade-off is real and you should go in with eyes open: it is one of the more dangerous trades in the country, the hours during outages and storms are brutal, the work wears on your body over a career, and travel is often part of the deal.
A typical day
- Show up at the yard before dawn for a job briefing and a tailboard (safety) meeting: the crew reviews the day's work, the hazards, the minimum approach distances for the voltage involved, and who does what.
- Inspect and load gear: climbing hooks (gaffs) and body belt, rubber insulating gloves and sleeves, hot sticks (insulated tools for live work), grounds, and rigging onto the bucket truck or digger derrick.
- Drive to the job site and set up: cones, signs, and traffic control, then test, isolate, and ground the lines you'll work on so they're confirmed de-energized (or follow strict live-line rules if they stay energized).
- Climb a pole with hooks and belt, or go up in the bucket, to replace a cracked crossarm, change out an insulator, or hang a new transformer.
- String new conductor (wire) between poles or towers, set anchors and guy wires, and frame (build out) new poles with a digger derrick.
- Respond to an outage: find the fault, isolate it, replace a blown fuse, burned connector, or downed span, then re-energize to get customers back on.
- Operate switches in a substation, or do live-line work at the required minimum approach distance using hot sticks and insulating gear.
- On storm days: work long shifts (often 16 hours on, 8 off) for days or even weeks straight, frequently far from home, restoring power pole by pole until the area is back up.
- Document the work, restock the truck, and debrief; grounding checks and safety paperwork are non-negotiable every single day.
Where you work
Almost entirely outdoors and at height. Linemen work on poles, towers, and out of bucket trucks, often 30 to 100-plus feet up, in heat, cold, rain, snow, and wind. The worst weather is exactly when the work is busiest, because storms are what cause outages. Day-to-day schedules are often four 10-hour days, but emergency and storm work means being on call, getting woken up at 2 a.m., and pulling long consecutive shifts for days on end. Overtime is common and is a big part of total pay.
The physical demands are high: climbing, lifting heavy gear and conductor, working in awkward positions for long stretches, and carrying a loaded tool belt. The hazards are serious and specific: electrocution and electrical burns from high-voltage lines (the signature hazard of the trade), falls from height, being struck by equipment or falling material, and traffic on roadside jobs. Power-line work consistently ranks among the more dangerous U.S. occupations by fatality rate. Because of those hazards, the trade runs on strict, drilled safety procedures (grounding, minimum approach distances, rubber gloving, pole-top and bucket rescue), and you are expected to follow them exactly, every time. OSHA's power-line standard (29 CFR 1910.269) requires trained first-aid/CPR responders on the crew and the ability to perform a pole-top rescue. Drug-free workplace policies and regular testing are standard, and a DOT medical card is required to drive the trucks. Travel ranges from local utility work that keeps you near home to traveling construction and storm-restoration work that can put you on the road for weeks at a time.
How to get in
The two main on-ramps are: get hired and earn through a registered apprenticeship (the lowest-cost path, since you're paid the whole time), or pay for a short lineworker trade school first to make yourself hireable, then enter an apprenticeship. Most people start at the bottom as a groundman or apprentice and work up. A CDL (or clear progress toward one) and a clean driving record are basically non-negotiable. Expect to apply more than once, getting into a good apprenticeship is competitive.
The gold-standard, lowest-cost route. You're a paid employee from day one and advance through about seven pay steps over roughly 3.5 to 4 years of on-the-job training plus classroom (related) instruction. Union outside-lineman apprenticeships are run through the electrical training ALLIANCE and local JATCs; many individual utilities and rural co-ops also run their own registered programs.
A short, intensive program (for example, 15 weeks at SLTC, or a community-college certificate) teaches climbing, rescue, CDL, and fundamentals. It costs money but makes you much more competitive for apprenticeships and groundman jobs, especially if no local apprenticeship is taking applicants right now.
Get hired by a line-construction contractor or utility as a groundman (groundhand): you don't climb at first, you handle materials, rigging, and tools from the ground while learning the trade and proving yourself. Many groundmen get sponsored into an apprenticeship from there.
Veterans, especially with electrical, prime power, or signal backgrounds, are strong candidates. The GI Bill can pay for lineworker school, and several utilities, contractors, and unions run veteran hiring and pre-apprentice programs (for example, IBEW/NECA's veteran-focused outreach).
Apprenticeships
Length: About 3.5 to 4 years: roughly 7,000 hours of on-the-job training plus several hundred hours of classroom/related instruction, advancing through about 7 pay steps (commonly ~1,000 hours each).
Earn while you learn: You're paid from day one and get a raise at each step. Apprentice wages are set as a percentage of the local journeyman scale, commonly starting around 60% and climbing to roughly 85-90% by the final period. In dollars that's often around $20-$30/hr at the start, rising to roughly $35-$50+/hr near the end, depending on region and local scale. Union programs typically add employer-paid health insurance and pension contributions.
How to find one: Start with the free federal finder at apprenticeship.gov (search 'lineman' or 'line installer'). For union outside-lineman programs, go through the electrical training ALLIANCE (electricaltrainingalliance.org) and your local IBEW/NECA JATC, or ibewunionlineman.com. Also apply directly to your local electric utility, rural electric cooperative, municipal utility, and line-construction contractors, since many run their own registered apprenticeships and hire groundmen to feed into them. Expect to apply more than once.
Certifications
A state-issued, federally regulated license to operate heavy commercial vehicles. Class A covers the larger combination vehicles linemen use. Comes with a DOT medical card and federal drug-and-alcohol testing requirements.
A medical card certifying you're physically fit to drive commercial vehicles. Tied directly to keeping your CDL valid, so you have to stay healthy enough to pass it.
Voluntary safety-awareness training (not a license) covering hazard recognition, fall protection, electrical safety, and emergency procedures. Cheap, quick, and widely expected by employers.
Because electrocution and falls are real risks, crews must be able to respond immediately. Typically renewed every 2 years.
Hands-on training to safely lower an injured worker from a pole or bucket. It's a demonstrated-proficiency requirement under the OSHA power-line standard, not a single national certificate, and it's re-verified regularly (often annually).
Certifies you to safely direct traffic around a work zone, which is routine for utility line work along roads.
A nationally recognized operator certification for the lifting equipment used to dig holes, set poles, and place transformers. Makes you more valuable on a crew and is required for some operating roles.
A nationally recognized credential proving you completed the required hours and training. With a union (IBEW) card, it transfers across the country and lets you book work through different locals.
Licensing
Unlike inside electricians, power linemen generally do NOT need a separate state journeyman or master electrical license to do outside utility line work. The core credential is completing a registered apprenticeship and earning journeyman lineman status (plus a union card, if you go union). The one true license nearly everyone needs is a CDL with a DOT medical card. A few states or specific job types may add requirements, so always check your state's rules and the employer's.
Licensing rules vary by state - check your state board.
Education
Minimum: High school diploma or GED. You need solid basic math (algebra and some trig help), and you must be physically able to climb and do heavy work all day. A clean driving record matters because you'll need a commercial driver's license (CDL).
Helps: A pre-apprentice lineworker program at a trade school or community college (commonly 15 weeks up to about a year) teaches climbing, pole-top rescue, CDL prep, and fundamentals, and makes you a far stronger applicant. Examples include the Southeast Lineman Training Center (SLTC) and many community-college lineworker programs. These cost money (SLTC's 15-week Electrical Lineworker Program runs roughly $18k-$22k including tools, boots, and CDL), so weigh that against going straight into a paid apprenticeship if you can land one. GI Bill benefits and financial aid often apply at approved schools.
Skills you'll need
Technical
Physical
People & habits
Tools of the trade
The real deal
Pros
- High pay for a no-degree trade: six figures is realistic with overtime and storm work
- Strong, stable demand: the grid is aging and growing, and the work can't be offshored or fully automated
- Earn while you learn: a paid apprenticeship means no student debt is required to start
- Real pride and respect: you keep the lights on and you're the one people are glad to see after a storm
- Union path offers strong benefits (employer-paid health insurance, pension) and a card that travels nationwide
- Clear advancement ladder from groundman to apprentice to journeyman to foreman and beyond
- Outdoor, hands-on work, you're not stuck at a desk
Cons
- Genuinely dangerous: high-voltage electrocution, burns, and falls cause serious injuries and deaths; one mistake can be fatal, and the trade ranks among the more dangerous occupations
- Brutal hours during storms and outages: long consecutive shifts, middle-of-the-night call-outs, and days or weeks away from home
- Hard on the body over time: climbing, heavy lifting, and years at height wear down knees, shoulders, and back
- You work in the worst weather, because that's exactly when the grid breaks
- Travel and time away from family, especially for construction and storm-restoration work
- Demanding apprenticeship that's competitive to get into, plus a tough, sometimes hazing-prone culture on some crews
- Strict drug testing and DOT/medical requirements; you have to stay fit and clean to keep working
Where it can go
Specializations
Works the lower-voltage neighborhood grid: the poles, wires, and transformers along streets that feed homes and businesses. The most common type and a lot of the day-to-day outage work.
Works on the high-voltage backbone: the big steel towers and long spans that move bulk power across regions. Higher voltages, more height and rigging, and often higher pay and more travel.
Builds and maintains substations, the facilities that step voltage up or down between transmission and distribution. More equipment- and switching-focused than overhead line work.
Chases major weather events and emergencies, traveling to restore power after hurricanes, ice storms, and wildfires. The most lucrative work (heavy overtime plus per diem) but the most disruptive to home life.
An experienced lineman who responds solo to trouble calls and outages, diagnoses the problem, and makes quick fixes or calls in a crew. A senior, well-respected role.
Installs and repairs underground cable, vaults, and pad-mounted transformers instead of overhead lines. Common in newer subdivisions and dense urban areas.
Leads a crew, runs the tailboard safety briefings, plans the work, and is accountable for the job. The main step up from journeyman and a pay bump.
Start this week
- Make sure you have a high school diploma or GED, and brush up on basic math (algebra and some trig). Start getting in real physical shape now, especially grip, legs, and stamina, because climbing is demanding.
- Clean up your driving record and start working toward a Class A CDL. It's the single biggest hireability factor, and many employers won't seriously consider you without clear progress on it.
- Go to apprenticeship.gov and search 'lineman' or 'line installer' to find registered programs near you, and look up your local IBEW outside-lineman JATC through electricaltrainingalliance.org and ibewunionlineman.com.
- Apply directly to your local electric utility, rural electric cooperative, municipal utility, and line-construction contractors for groundman/helper openings, and ask how they move people into their apprenticeship.
- If local apprenticeships aren't currently open, consider a reputable pre-apprentice lineworker school (for example, Southeast Lineman Training Center or a community-college program), but compare the cost honestly against landing a paid apprenticeship first.
- Knock out cheap, quick credentials that make you stand out: OSHA 10 and First Aid/CPR/AED.
- Talk to working linemen (a local IBEW hall, a utility recruiter, or online communities) about the real hours, travel, and danger before you commit, and plan to apply more than once if you don't get in the first time.
Job outlook
High and steady. The grid is old and growing at the same time. Utilities are replacing aging infrastructure, hardening lines against storms and wildfires, and adding capacity for data centers, electric vehicles, and renewable generation. A large share of the current workforce is also nearing retirement, so utilities and contractors are actively recruiting and training. The work itself can't be offshored and can't be fully automated, which is a real, structural source of job security.
BLS projects employment of electrical power-line installers and repairers to grow about 7% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with roughly 10,700 openings per year over the decade (from growth plus replacing workers who retire or leave the field). Honest caveat: openings can be competitive in desirable areas, getting into a paid apprenticeship often takes persistence and more than one application cycle, and demand is steady rather than explosive.
Helpful links
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers - Official U.S. government source for pay (median $92,560/yr, May 2024), wage range, job outlook (7% growth 2024-2034), and education/training facts.
- Apprenticeship.gov Finder - Free, official federal tool to search registered lineman/line-installer apprenticeships near you.
- electrical training ALLIANCE, Outside Lineman - The IBEW/NECA training body that runs the union outside-lineman apprenticeship. Explains the program and helps you find your local JATC.
- IBEW Union Lineman - The IBEW's recruiting site for line work: training, pay, benefits, and how to apply to a union apprenticeship.
- Southeast Lineman Training Center (SLTC) - A well-known pre-apprentice lineworker trade school (15-week Electrical Lineworker Program). Useful for understanding school costs (~$18k-$22k) and financial aid/GI Bill options.
- OSHA, Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution eTool - Official safety rules for power-line work, including pole-top rescue and first-aid/CPR requirements under 29 CFR 1910.269. Shows the real hazards and standards.
- FMCSA, Commercial Driver's License - Federal info on getting the CDL you'll need to drive line-crew equipment.
Common questions
How much do linemen actually make?
The national median is about $92,560/yr (roughly $44.50/hr) as of May 2024 per BLS. The bottom 10% earn under $50,020 and the top 10% over $126,610, before storm overtime. Apprentices start around $20-$30/hr and get a raise every step. Experienced journeymen, especially union linemen working overtime and storms, regularly clear $100k-$150k+ in big years. A strong storm-restoration week can gross roughly $5,000-$12,000+.
Do I need a college degree?
No. You need a high school diploma or GED. The real training happens in a paid apprenticeship (about 3.5-4 years) and on the job. A CDL is effectively required, and a short lineworker trade school can help you get hired, but a college degree is not part of this trade.
Is being a lineman dangerous?
Yes, honestly. High-voltage electrocution, electrical burns, and falls from height are the big risks, and the job consistently ranks among the more dangerous trades in the country. That's exactly why it's well-paid and why safety procedures (grounding, minimum approach distances, rubber gloving, pole-top rescue) are drilled constantly. If you respect the rules every single time, you manage the risk, but you can't ignore it.
How long until I'm a journeyman?
About 3.5 to 4 years through a registered apprenticeship (roughly 7,000 on-the-job hours plus classroom instruction, across about 7 pay steps). You're paid the whole time and get a raise at each step.
Lineman vs. electrician: what's the difference?
An inside electrician (wireman) wires buildings and usually needs a state journeyman/master electrical license. An outside power lineman builds and fixes the utility grid (poles, towers, transformers, high voltage) and generally does NOT need a state electrical license; the key credentials are a completed apprenticeship, journeyman status, and a CDL. Line work is far more weather-exposed and pays well with heavy overtime.
Do I have to travel a lot?
It depends on the job. Working directly for your local utility can keep you close to home most of the time. Line-construction contractors and especially storm-restoration work involve a lot of travel and time away, sometimes weeks at a stretch. The travel work usually pays the most (overtime plus per diem).
What if I'm afraid of heights?
Then this probably isn't the right trade. You'll spend your career 30 to 100+ feet up on poles, towers, and in buckets, often in bad weather. Some people get used to moderate heights with training, but a genuine fear of heights is a hard barrier here.
Do I need a CDL before I apply?
Not always before you apply, but you'll need one to keep the job, and having it (or being clearly on track to get it) makes you far more hireable. Many apprenticeships and trade schools help you earn your Class A CDL as part of the program.
Is it hard to get into an apprenticeship?
It can be competitive, especially in desirable areas, and many people apply more than once before getting in. You improve your odds with a clean driving record, progress toward a CDL, real physical fitness, cheap credentials like OSHA 10 and CPR, and time spent as a groundman to prove yourself. Persistence matters.
Talk to others in this trade