How Much Do Linemen Make?
National median $92,560/yr ($44.50/hr)
Linemen, which the government tracks as electrical power-line installers and repairers, are one of the best-paid trades you can enter without a college degree. The national median wage was $92,560 a year, or about $44.50 an hour, as of May 2024 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). That is nearly double the roughly $49,000 median for all U.S. jobs, and you earn while you learn through a paid apprenticeship instead of paying tuition.
Pay spreads out a lot by experience, employer, and how much overtime you chase. The bottom 10 percent earned under about $52,000 a year while the top 10 percent cleared roughly $128,000, and in high-scale union metros the top earners run even higher. An apprentice groundman starts near the bottom of that range, a topped-out journeyman lands in the middle to upper end, and foremen and storm-chasing travelers sit at the top.
What pushes a lineman's pay up is fairly predictable. Union (IBEW) utility scale pays the most and comes with strong overtime rules. Transmission and substation work pays more than residential distribution. Overtime and storm restoration are the single biggest boosters, since crews bank time-and-a-half, double-time, and tax-advantaged per diem during outages. Traveling work following big transmission projects, and living in a high-cost state like California, Washington, Oregon, or New York, add more on top.
Pay by experience
Highest-paying paths
Investor-owned and federal utilities pay the top wage sheets. Federal government line jobs averaged around $104,000 and utilities around $98,000, well above contractor pay, plus double-time overtime and per-diem rules baked into the contract.
Higher voltage means higher pay. Transmission linemen, substation techs, and live-line (hot-stick, bare-hand) specialists earn well above residential distribution crews, and top-10 percent earners run over about $128,000 nationally.
The single biggest paycheck booster. During outages crews bank time-and-a-half and double-time on 16-hour days plus tax-advantaged per diem of roughly $100 to $200 a day. A few big storm seasons can add tens of thousands to a year.
Traveling linemen ('boomers') follow large transmission and grid-hardening projects across the country. Between per diem, travel pay, and heavy overtime, road work is one of the fastest ways to bank $130,000-plus.
California, Washington, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Alaska, and Hawaii pay the most. Top metros like Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, New York, and Los Angeles push experienced pay into the $130,000 to $150,000 range.
How to earn more
- Top out as a journeyman and get into a strong IBEW local. Union scale plus contract overtime rules is the clearest path to six figures.
- Move from residential and distribution work into transmission or substation work, where voltage and pay both go up.
- Chase storm restoration and take traveling per-diem jobs. Double-time overtime plus per diem is where the biggest paychecks come from.
- Specialize. Troubleman (troubleshooter), live-line and hot-stick work, cable splicing, and underground (URD) all pay premiums.
- Step up to foreman, general foreman, or superintendent to add a leadership premium on top of your line wage.
- Relocate to a high-scale state or metro. The same journeyman card is worth far more in California, Washington, Oregon, or the Northeast.
- Keep your CDL, first aid and CPR, and pole-top and bucket rescue certifications current so you never get passed over for the high-overtime, high-voltage crews.
See who's hiring
Browse Lineman jobs with pay shown upfront, or read the full Lineman career guide.
Lineman pay: common questions
How much do linemen make?
The national median was $92,560 a year, about $44.50 an hour, as of May 2024 (BLS). Most linemen fall between roughly $52,000 at the bottom 10 percent and $128,000 at the top 10 percent, with the top union and storm-chasing earners running even higher.
Do linemen make good money?
Yes. The median pay is nearly double the roughly $49,000 median for all U.S. jobs, and you train through a paid apprenticeship instead of paying for college. A topped-out journeyman with overtime routinely clears six figures.
Can you make $100,000 a year as a lineman?
Yes, and many do. Journeymen at union utilities, on transmission or substation crews, or working storm restoration and traveling per-diem jobs regularly pass $100,000. The top 10 percent of linemen earn over about $128,000.
What are the highest-paying lineman jobs?
Transmission and substation work, union (IBEW) utility scale, storm restoration, and traveling per-diem road work pay the most. Troubleman and foreman roles and high-scale states like California, Washington, Oregon, and New York add even more.
How much do linemen make per hour?
The median is $44.50 an hour as of May 2024. Apprentices start around $20 to $32 an hour, topped-out journeymen commonly earn $45 to $60 an hour on union scale, and that is before overtime and double-time.