Electrical power-line installer and repairer
Electrical power-line installers and repairers install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems.
What the job is
- The work
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems.
BLS
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- How people get in
- Lineworkers typically need a high school diploma, then technical instruction and on-the-job training; apprenticeships are common and reach journey level after 3 or 4 years. Workers who drive heavy vehicles usually need a CDL.
- Good fit for
- Strong, calm, safety-minded people who don't mind heights, weather and high voltage.
- Career cluster
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
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StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
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- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025.
- Median pay
- $95,320 a year ($45.83 an hour)
BLS
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 131,900
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training after hire
- Long-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +10%, which BLS calls "much faster than average"
BLS
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +13,600 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
Tools overview
BLS does not publish what a starter tool set costs. Ask the school or apprenticeship sponsor which tools you must buy before you enrol.
- Lineworkers climb poles and towers or use truck-mounted buckets, and use trucks with augers and cranes to dig holes and set poles.
BLS
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers — What They DoU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes, step by step, the national certifications and the state licensing rules are on one page.
Lineworker: high school, then an apprenticeship of about 3–4 years
See the roadmap
Route 1: Apprenticeship → journey-level lineworker · Route 2: Lineworker certificate or associate degree first
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 21 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses. All trades