How much do linemen earn in 2025?
The average salary for a lineman in the United States is $81,760. With demand for linemen soaring, it’s an exciting time for those in the field. However, not all linemen earn the same pay. Curious about where linemen can make the most money or which positions offer the best benefits in your area? Let’s explore the opportunities!
Average Pay for Lineworkers
The median salary for lineworkers is approximately $81,760 per year, or about $40.00 per hour.
Several factors significantly influence a lineworker’s annual salary, including:
- Location: Pay rates can vary widely depending on the geographical area.
- Storm Seasonality and Overtime: The frequency of storms and the number of overtime hours worked play a crucial role.
- Union Presence: Whether the job is unionized or not, and the local pay scales, can impact earnings.
- Insurance Benefits: How insurance benefits are managed and compensated for in conjunction with the base salary.
While data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics may show slightly lower average and median wages for the category of “Line Installers and Line Repairers,” this is because it includes fiber optic technicians and ground hands whose average salary in 2025 is around $56,000. This report, however, focuses specifically on transmission and distribution linemen performing overhead utility work.
Most lineman jobs are paid hourly rather than on a salary basis. This can be advantageous as the nature of the job often involves late nights and early mornings, leading to additional pay and overtime hours. However, for those considering a local lineman position with a rural electric cooperative, the workload may be more predictable, offering the benefit of a consistent income without much overtime.
In which states do linemen earn the highest salaries?
In 2025, linemen in Hawaii are projected to earn the highest average salary, coming in at $98,440 annually.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi offers the lowest average pay for linemen, at $28.75 per hour. When examining lineman wages, it’s important to consider both hourly pay and overall salary ranges. However, these figures may not accurately reflect net take-home pay.
For instance, while the average lineman in California earns $43.55 per hour or $1,742 per week, their counterparts in Nevada make $40.77 per hour or $1,631 per week. A key difference is that Nevada does not impose an income tax. In fact, linemen residing in states like Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming are not subject to state income taxes. This map provides a detailed breakdown of the average annual wages for linemen across various states.
What is the average salary for a starting lineman?
In 2025, entry-level linemen with zero to five years of experience will earn an average annual salary of $52,350. The bottom 10 percent will make under $31,685, while the top 10 percent can expect to earn $85,250 or more.
To qualify for a lineman apprenticeship program and eventually secure a lineman apprentice job, energy companies or local utilities typically require the following:
- Completion of high school
- Reaching 18 years of age
- Possessing a driver’s license (CDL preferred)
- Passing a drug test
If you meet these requirements, you can apply to the company or program you’re interested in, undergo interviews, and take aptitude or skill-based tests.
Some programs, such as union lineman apprenticeships, operate on a lottery system. In this system, you are placed on a list and chosen based on your skills, background, and the program’s needs and priorities, which are often location-based.
Once accepted, you will typically begin with safety training before moving on to classroom courses and field training as a first-year apprentice lineman.
The initial work for a lineman is ground hand work. Although this work pays less than $25 per hour, it is an “earn while you learn” situation. This means you are accruing paid hours on your journey to becoming a journeyman lineman and eventually securing higher-paying lineman jobs.
Understanding the Lineman Pay Scale
When exploring lineman jobs and researching their pay and benefits, you will likely encounter a local pay scale, particularly for union positions. Wage rates, also known as pay scales, provide a framework for unions and line contractors to determine how much to compensate their linemen. For instance, here is an example from a local union, where lineman jobs are classified under Outside Construction by the IBEW.
Here’s a clearer presentation of the positions and their respective hourly rates:
| Position | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| General Foreman | $71.30 |
| Foreman | $65.50 |
| Journeyman Lineman | $59.25 |
| Ground Lineman | $32.18 |
The hourly rates for linemen are organized into a progressive table, typically ranging from $10 to $80, corresponding to their experience levels, from ground hand to foreman.
Starting as a lineman involves ground hand work, which pays less than $25 per hour. However, this is a valuable “earn while you learn” opportunity, allowing you to accumulate paid hours on your journey to becoming a journeyman lineman and securing higher-paying positions.
Factors to Consider for Lineman Pay and Benefits
Many young linemen, when starting their first job, often overlook the importance of health insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, you can remain on your parents’ health insurance plan until age 26.
As a lineman, you may be called out for projects lasting weeks or months and then be laid off when the project ends, necessitating signing up for another job, possibly with a different company. This cycle can be more stable if you work for a specific utility or rural cooperative.
One way to secure health insurance for you and your family is through the US Healthcare Marketplace at Healthcare.gov, which was established in 2013 as part of the Affordable Care Act. It allows you to compare and apply for private health insurance policies from providers like Aetna, UnitedHealthCare, Coventry, and Highmark.
Another viable option is the Line Construction Benefit Fund (LineCo), which requires you to work for an employer under a collective bargaining agreement that contributes to LineCo.
You must work 125 hours a month to be eligible for benefits two months later. For instance, if you work 200 hours in one month, 125 hours will cover your health insurance, and the remaining 75 hours will be banked for future use. LineCo partners with Blue Cross and Blue Shield for its network offerings.
What Retirement Benefits Do Linemen Receive?
Regarding retirement benefits, compound interest is often called the eighth wonder of the world. A straightforward tool for starting an individual retirement account (IRA) is Wealthfront, which allows you to create an IRA. Unlike a 401(k), IRAs offer tax incentives and provide more control over fund management.
For example, if a 20-year-old lineman invests $300 a month in an IRA for 25 years, they could accumulate over $280,000 for retirement, assuming an 8% interest rate. Another option for retirement benefits is the National Electrical Annuity Plan, which provides a retirement benefit of 15% to 25% of your gross pay, depending on your local union. This amount is paid by electrical contractors or local utilities and is not deducted from your paycheck.
How Storm Work Affects Lineman Pay
Some of the highest-paying lineman jobs are those involving storm recovery. Each year, during hurricane and tropical storm seasons, as well as during general thunderstorms across the country, powerlines suffer significant damage.
Storm work for linemen is lucrative for several reasons: utility companies are in high demand as their customers face power outages, hourly pay is increased for both overtime work and travel time in certain cases, and project bonuses are offered to crews working on hurricane and tropical storm transmission and distribution. Many companies listed on the Lineman Central Career Center primarily focus on storm recovery work.
It’s important to get in touch with these companies and secure your spot on their storm rosters before the storms hit, as they often only take a set number of workers. In some cases, you may need a current union ticket if the company operates as a union shop. Usually, they will cover a few days of travel time and your plane ticket. If the company you’re working for sends crews out for storm work and you’re included, that’s great. If not, consider joining a company that specializes in storm chasing.
Building strong networks is the key to securing storm-chasing jobs as a lineman
Chasing storms offers a unique opportunity for linemen to network, gain valuable contacts, and learn which companies to reach out to for work. For single linemen, this can be a lucrative way to earn money.
While it’s possible to pursue this line of work with a family, it can be quite demanding and taxing. It’s not uncommon for linemen working storm jobs to earn between $13,000 and $14,000 per week.
