How much do linemans make in 2026?
Linemen are counted in the BLS electrical power-line installers and repairers series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 49-9051 national median at $95,320 a year ($45.83 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $51,470 and the top 10% at $128,690. The series covers transmission and distribution line work broadly rather than a single job title, so read it as the trade's band. Two features explain the level. First, the work is high-voltage and life-critical, performed energised or under strict switching discipline, so utilities and line contractors invest heavily in a long apprenticeship and pay to retain the people who complete it. Second, storm restoration means large blocks of overtime at premium rates — a lineman travelling for hurricane or ice-storm work can add a substantial fraction to annual earnings in a few weeks. Utility employment tends to pay steadily with strong benefits; contractor work pays more per hour with more travel. Employment is projected to grow 6.6% through 2034 with roughly 10,700 openings a year. → Full lineman career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $95,320 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Linemans earn a national median $95,320/yr ($45.83/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9051); the P10 to P90 range is $51,470 to $128,690.
- The power-line series median of $95,320 is among the highest in the trades, with a full range of $51,470 to $128,690.
- Storm restoration overtime is a structural part of lineman earnings, not an occasional extra, and can add a large fraction to a year's pay.
- Utility posts pay steadily with strong benefits and pensions; line contractors pay higher hourly rates with far more travel.
US Lineman Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do linemans earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 49-9051; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9051, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a lineman earn at each career stage?
Line work pay follows apprenticeship progression, voltage class and storm availability. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 49-9051.
By State
Which states pay linemans the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Line work geography is driven by utility structure and weather: states with frequent storm damage generate restoration overtime, and states building transmission for new generation have contractor demand. Line workers are not state-licensed as such; qualification is by apprenticeship completion and employer-assessed competency under federal electric power safety rules.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($109,620), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay linemans the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a lineman’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does lineman pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Linemans sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify lineman wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a lineman actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Lineman Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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