Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
Electrical power-line installer
Electrical power-line installers and repairers build and maintain the lines and equipment that carry electricity, working at height and outdoors in all weather, often on storm restoration. Utilities and contractors employ them, and overtime is common.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What an electrical power-line installer makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$95,320
$45.83 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $67,270
- 75th percentile
- $109,740
- 90th percentile
- $128,690
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 97%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +10.3%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 10,900
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
A high school diploma, a commercial driver's license (often required), and a paid apprenticeship of three to four years through a utility, an IBEW local, or a line contractor. Pre-apprenticeship lineworker schools of 10 to 15 weeks improve the odds but are not required.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
The next step
Utility or contractor lineworker apprenticeship (CDL usually required)
- Typical cost
- Apprenticeships are paid; optional pre-apprenticeship schools $10,000 to $20,000
- Time to complete
- 3 to 4 years, paid
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for electrical power-line installers and repairers by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $64.59 | $134,340 | $99,170 to $135,510 | 600 |
| Washington | $63.97 | $133,060 | $107,620 to $136,850 | 2,340 |
| Oregon | $63.02 | $131,090 | $106,530 to $139,920 | 1,640 |
| California | $62.04 | $129,040 | $98,680 to $156,380 | 8,930 |
| Connecticut | $60.99 | $126,850 | $90,740 to $131,180 | 940 |
| Idaho | $60.29 | $125,410 | $99,040 to $128,090 | 860 |
| New Jersey | $58.45 | $121,580 | $99,860 to $123,740 | 1,310 |
| New York | $58.31 | $121,280 | $82,560 to $134,320 | 5,840 |
| Montana | $53.04 | $110,320 | $87,090 to $118,820 | 680 |
| Massachusetts | $52.99 | $110,210 | $94,370 to $126,040 | 2,350 |
| Vermont | $52.17 | $108,520 | $96,920 to $121,020 | 270 |
| Illinois | $51.98 | $108,120 | $101,620 to $126,440 | 3,090 |
| Michigan | $51.39 | $106,890 | $85,050 to $125,050 | 2,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $51.07 | $106,230 | $92,030 to $117,940 | 4,150 |
| Maryland | $51.01 | $106,090 | $78,930 to $116,030 | 1,830 |
| North Dakota | $50.90 | $105,870 | $82,880 to $114,820 | 740 |
| Wisconsin | $50.88 | $105,820 | $82,150 to $112,150 | 2,520 |
| Rhode Island | $50.30 | $104,620 | $77,920 to $122,640 | 120 |
| Minnesota | $50.09 | $104,180 | $90,730 to $115,740 | 2,190 |
| Colorado | $49.99 | $103,980 | $74,450 to $121,200 | 2,370 |
| New Hampshire | $49.12 | $102,170 | $78,670 to $120,600 | 560 |
| Indiana | $49.06 | $102,040 | $73,060 to $109,570 | 2,540 |
| Kansas | $48.86 | $101,620 | $71,460 to $111,690 | 1,610 |
| District of Columbia | $48.67 | $101,240 | $84,170 to $132,200 | 150 |
| Utah | $48.66 | $101,220 | $64,530 to $121,260 | 1,030 |
| Iowa | $48.17 | $100,200 | $79,860 to $103,490 | 1,390 |
| South Dakota | $46.79 | $97,310 | $87,490 to $103,280 | 740 |
| Delaware | $46.72 | $97,180 | $76,000 to $106,590 | 330 |
| Nevada | $46.42 | $96,560 | $65,250 to $125,720 | 920 |
| Missouri | $46.33 | $96,360 | $75,040 to $102,610 | 3,440 |
| Wyoming | $45.12 | $93,860 | $62,560 to $108,690 | 670 |
| Ohio | $44.78 | $93,150 | $73,510 to $104,200 | 4,260 |
| Alaska | $44.46 | $92,470 | $61,140 to $120,790 | 490 |
| Nebraska | $44.30 | $92,150 | $71,810 to $108,570 | 1,490 |
| Alabama | $44.24 | $92,030 | $63,020 to $102,160 | 2,730 |
| Florida | $41.76 | $86,870 | $63,810 to $103,680 | 6,420 |
| West Virginia | $40.29 | $83,810 | $64,450 to $107,260 | 1,260 |
| Tennessee | $40.22 | $83,660 | $66,190 to $96,980 | 3,900 |
| Maine | $39.95 | $83,090 | $63,440 to $103,640 | 1,160 |
| Arkansas | $39.16 | $81,450 | $63,440 to $107,900 | 1,510 |
| Georgia | $38.50 | $80,080 | $61,140 to $100,770 | 4,960 |
| Texas | $37.95 | $78,940 | $60,150 to $99,110 | 17,280 |
| North Carolina | $37.15 | $77,270 | $60,490 to $100,310 | 5,650 |
| Kentucky | $37.03 | $77,020 | $59,170 to $95,020 | 2,930 |
| South Carolina | $36.96 | $76,870 | $60,200 to $95,430 | 2,690 |
| Virginia | $36.82 | $76,590 | $60,740 to $100,460 | 2,920 |
| New Mexico | $36.76 | $76,470 | $58,980 to $96,000 | 1,020 |
| Louisiana | $36.74 | $76,410 | $53,410 to $100,390 | 2,520 |
| Oklahoma | $36.54 | $76,010 | $60,300 to $98,060 | 3,290 |
| Mississippi | $36.49 | $75,890 | $50,480 to $91,530 | 2,290 |
| Arizona | $36.26 | $75,420 | $57,800 to $100,330 | 3,360 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be an electrical power-line installer?
No. BLS lists "high school diploma or equivalent" as the typical education for entry, and 97% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is utility or contractor lineworker apprenticeship (CDL usually required).
How much does an electrical power-line installer make?
The median pay was $95,320 a year ($45.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $67,270 and $109,740, and the top 10 percent earned more than $128,690.
How long does it take to become an electrical power-line installer?
3 to 4 years, paid. The typical cost is apprenticeships are paid; optional pre-apprenticeship schools $10,000 to $20,000.
Is electrical power-line installer work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035 with about 10,900 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 49-9051.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile