Best states for powerline workers in 2026 come down to more than base hourly wage. You want strong scale, steady utility or contractor work, storm opportunities, overtime, and enough line construction to keep your CDL, hooks, bucket skills, and ticket paying.
This guide ranks the top 10 states, then gives you wage data for all 50 states. The wage figures below are for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, SOC 49-9051, from CareerOneStop, which reports wage data from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program using May 2024 estimates.
The best states for powerline workers are not always the states with the highest posted wage. A high scale in a state with brutal housing costs, slow books, or limited overtime does not beat a lower-scale state with steady calls, storm work, and good benefits.
This ranking weighs:
Median wage matters most because it gives you the middle of the market. High annual wage shows the ceiling, but it does not include every overtime year, storm call, per diem check, double-time agreement, or travel package.
| Rank | State | Why it ranks high | Median Annual Wage | High Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | Highest median wage, strong utility systems, hydro, transmission, storms | $125,710 | $145,160 |
| 2 | Oregon | Very high median wage, wildfire hardening, transmission, utility work | $123,180 | $136,600 |
| 3 | California | Huge grid, wildfire mitigation, undergrounding, high top-end pay | $122,520 | $160,860 |
| 4 | Connecticut | Strong Northeast wage market, dense utility territory | $120,340 | $133,350 |
| 5 | Nevada | High median wage, growth, underground, utility expansion | $120,260 | $131,660 |
| 6 | Idaho | High median wage, fast growth, transmission and distribution work | $120,240 | $129,120 |
| 7 | New York | Large utility footprint, strong wage, major transmission needs | $117,500 | $138,790 |
| 8 | New Jersey | High wage, dense grid, strong utility and contractor market | $116,280 | $125,890 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | Strong Northeast wage, winter storm and utility work | $115,430 | $128,120 |
| 10 | Vermont | High wage floor, winter storms, small but strong utility market | $108,160 | $119,420 |
Washington is the best state for powerline workers in 2026 when you rank by verified median wage and practical job quality. The state shows a $125,710 median annual wage and a $145,160 high annual wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers.
That does not mean every groundman, apprentice, or journeyman lineman walks into $125,000. Wage data includes workers across utilities, contractors, public systems, and different experience levels. But Washington has the right mix for powerline workers: high scale, major utility systems, hydro infrastructure, transmission corridors, winter weather, wind events, and long-term grid investment.
For journeyman linemen with a ticket, CDL, distribution experience, and transmission exposure, Washington belongs at the top. For apprentices and groundmen, the state is still attractive, but getting in the door takes preparation.
California is not number one by median wage in this table, but it has the highest listed top-end number at $160,860. That tells you what most linemen already know: California has serious earning potential when the call, scale, overtime, and conditions line up.
The work is not easy money. You deal with wildfire mitigation, covered conductor, pole changeouts, underground conversion, transmission access issues, traffic control, environmental restrictions, and long commutes. But the system is huge, the grid needs work, and the money is real.
California is strongest for journeyman linemen with a ticket, CDL, utility procedures experience, and the ability to work safely under tight switching, clearance, and job-briefing rules.
The highest-paying states for powerline workers in this dataset are concentrated in the West Coast, Northeast, and a few fast-growth Mountain West states.
Washington, Oregon, California, Connecticut, Nevada, Idaho, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Vermont all show median annual wages above $108,000. Those states offer high earning potential, but they also come with tradeoffs.
High-wage states usually mean one or more of the following:
A journeyman lineman looking for scale will read the top 10 differently than a first-year apprentice. A groundman needs calls and hours. An apprentice needs a path and varied work. A JL needs agreement quality, overtime, benefits, and working conditions.
Storm money changes the math. Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and the Northeast all see restoration work.
Base wage does not tell the full storm story. Florida shows a $92,460 median annual wage, Texas shows $77,560, Louisiana shows $74,300, and Georgia shows $78,880. Those numbers look lower than the top 10, but storm restoration, overtime, per diem, travel pay, and double time can push a working year much higher.
Do not build your whole plan around storms. Build your normal wage first. Storm calls are upside, not a retirement plan. The best storm hands still need the basics: CDL, safe driving, good rubber gloving habits, switching discipline, transformer knowledge, and the ability to work long hours without getting sloppy.
Some of the best states for powerline workers are not top 10 wage states yet. Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Utah, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida all have strong long-term work drivers.
Texas has huge line construction volume, transmission work, renewables, data centers, distribution growth, and storm restoration. Virginia has data center load and transmission pressure. Arizona and Utah have population growth, heat-driven load, underground work, and distribution expansion. Florida has hurricanes, system hardening, underground conversion, and year-round utility work.
These states matter because a lineman career is built on hours. A slightly lower scale with steady overtime, good benefits, and open calls can beat a higher posted wage in a slow market.
The table below lists low, median, and high annual wages for electrical power-line installers and repairers. Use the median annual wage as the main comparison point. Use the high annual wage to judge top-end earning room. These figures do not include every storm check, per diem package, double-time call, travel agreement, or benefit plan.
| State | Low Annual | Median Annual | High Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,310 | $84,340 | $105,150 |
| Alaska | $79,300 | $107,330 | $139,830 |
| Arizona | $51,370 | $101,980 | $129,560 |
| Arkansas | $46,540 | $79,140 | $108,400 |
| California | $67,690 | $122,520 | $160,860 |
| Colorado | $62,400 | $108,040 | $123,030 |
| Connecticut | $45,440 | $120,340 | $133,350 |
| Delaware | $60,940 | $87,460 | $121,440 |
| Florida | $49,270 | $92,460 | $107,740 |
| Georgia | $50,850 | $78,880 | $116,940 |
| Hawaii | $73,430 | $107,810 | $140,680 |
| Idaho | $63,330 | $120,240 | $129,120 |
| Illinois | $62,670 | $105,970 | $123,050 |
| Indiana | $61,340 | $100,260 | $113,630 |
| Iowa | $56,760 | $95,850 | $107,510 |
| Kansas | $50,960 | $102,400 | $110,500 |
| Kentucky | $44,510 | $76,050 | $101,930 |
| Louisiana | $37,660 | $74,300 | $102,090 |
| Maine | $48,950 | $83,030 | $116,070 |
| Maryland | $60,030 | $93,170 | $114,350 |
| Massachusetts | $81,290 | $106,610 | $124,110 |
| Michigan | $58,320 | $103,310 | $130,270 |
| Minnesota | $73,010 | $104,800 | $118,320 |
| Mississippi | $42,580 | $68,810 | $98,860 |
| Missouri | $56,590 | $93,580 | $117,720 |
| Montana | $66,280 | $107,540 | $120,890 |
| Nebraska | $49,280 | $88,910 | $113,710 |
| Nevada | $21,320 | $120,260 | $131,660 |
| New Hampshire | $63,640 | $115,430 | $128,120 |
| New Jersey | $80,030 | $116,280 | $125,890 |
| New Mexico | $36,630 | $78,670 | $102,470 |
| New York | $57,240 | $117,500 | $138,790 |
| North Carolina | $48,670 | $75,630 | $102,830 |
| North Dakota | $59,230 | $97,460 | $117,810 |
| Ohio | $49,550 | $84,470 | $109,000 |
| Oklahoma | $41,380 | $66,840 | $101,720 |
| Oregon | $52,820 | $123,180 | $136,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,190 | $103,750 | $121,590 |
| Rhode Island | $77,920 | $107,770 | $129,430 |
| South Carolina | $47,270 | $75,010 | $100,340 |
| South Dakota | $61,390 | $92,060 | $102,500 |
| Tennessee | $45,950 | $80,160 | $101,200 |
| Texas | $48,520 | $77,560 | $104,850 |
| Utah | $46,810 | $81,380 | $115,120 |
| Vermont | $83,670 | $108,160 | $119,420 |
| Virginia | $48,970 | $77,190 | $106,350 |
| Washington | $72,950 | $125,710 | $145,160 |
| West Virginia | $48,570 | $83,920 | $110,500 |
| Wisconsin | $48,190 | $104,420 | $117,960 |
| Wyoming | $61,050 | $98,490 | $116,040 |
The best states for groundmen are states with work volume. You need calls, hours, contractors, and enough crew movement to get your foot in the door.
Good states for groundmen in 2026 include Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. These states have large utility systems, population growth, storm exposure, contractor activity, or major grid work.
A groundman should not chase the highest median wage first. Chase the first real line job. Show up with a CDL A, clean driving record, OSHA 10 ET&D if required, CPR and first aid, work boots, and the ability to listen. A groundman who can back a trailer, set up cones, stock the truck, spot equipment, frame material, and stay off the phone gets noticed.
Apprentice linemen need hours and variety. You need distribution, transmission, underground, storm, rubber gloving, hot stick work, transformer banks, pole changeouts, wire pulls, and enough different foremen to learn how the trade really works.
Strong apprentice states include California, Texas, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. These states have enough work to expose an apprentice to different systems and crew types.
Do not pick a state only because the journeyman scale looks good. A weak apprenticeship with poor hours sets you back. A strong apprenticeship in a busy state builds the habits that keep you alive after you top out.
Journeyman linemen should judge states by total package, not just wage. Scale matters, but so do benefits, overtime rules, per diem, double time, working agreement, retirement, call volume, storm policy, and how the utility runs clearances.
For JLs, the best states for powerline workers in 2026 are Washington, Oregon, California, Connecticut, Nevada, Idaho, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Your best state depends on your skill set. A distribution troubleman, a transmission hand, a barehand hand, a substation-capable lineman, and a storm hand are not chasing the exact same calls. The more complete your ticket, the more states make sense.
A high wage does not always mean a better life. California, Washington, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Hawaii can pay well, but housing and taxes take a bite.
That does not make those states bad. It means you need to do the math before you drag up or relocate.
Run the numbers this way:
A $105,000 median wage in a lower-cost state can beat $122,000 in a high-cost state. A $90,000 base with heavy overtime can beat both. The best states for powerline workers are the ones where the total package works.
Distribution work is strongest where people are moving, load is growing, and old systems need rebuilds. Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Colorado all have strong distribution drivers.
Transmission work follows generation, load growth, renewables, grid congestion, and long-distance upgrades. Texas, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and the Midwest all matter for transmission hands.
Underground work is strongest in fast-growth suburbs, dense cities, wildfire areas, coastal hardening projects, and places where overhead rebuilds face restrictions. California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland all have steady underground demand.
Storm restoration work follows hurricanes, ice, wind, wildfire, and coastal weather. Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, the Carolinas, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Michigan all see storm-related line work.
The wage table is useful, but it does not show the whole check.
It does not show:
Two linemen in the same state can have very different years. One works straight 40s at a utility. One works 6-10s on a contractor job. One catches storms. One sits. One has a strong benefits package. One gets a bigger check but weaker retirement.
That is why the best state is never just a wage number. The wage gets your attention. The agreement, call volume, and hours decide whether it is worth it.
Use this process before you move, sign a call, or chase a rumor from a hotel parking lot.
For career-changers from electrical, HVAC, oil and gas, telecom, tree work, or heavy equipment, do not overthink the first move. Get the CDL. Get around line crews. Take the groundman job that teaches you the trade. Then move up.
Washington ranks first because it has the highest median annual wage in the 50-state table at $125,710, plus strong utility systems, transmission work, hydro infrastructure, and storm exposure.
California shows the highest high annual wage in the table at $160,860. That number reflects top-end earning room, but it does not guarantee every lineman in California earns that amount.
Storm states can be better for linemen who are safe, experienced, and willing to travel. Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, and the Northeast can produce strong storm money, but storms are not steady income.
The best states for groundmen are high-volume work states like Texas, Florida, California, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. Groundmen need entry-level calls more than top-scale wage numbers.
Not at first. Apprentices should chase hours, training quality, and varied work. A busy apprenticeship with distribution, transmission, underground, and storm exposure beats a high-wage state where you cannot get consistent hours.
BLS wage data does not capture every storm check, per diem deal, double-time run, travel package, callout schedule, or union benefit package the way linemen talk about pay. It is a baseline, not the best year a hard-traveling JL ever had.
The best states for powerline workers in 2026 are Washington, Oregon, California, Connecticut, Nevada, Idaho, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Vermont by median wage. Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Virginia, and Arizona also deserve attention depending on your stage and work type.
Do not pick a state off one number. Compare wage, hours, overtime, agreement, cost of living, storm exposure, and the kind of line work you actually want to do.
Check current lineman, journeyman lineman, apprentice lineman, and groundman openings on PowerLinemanJobs.com and compare the calls before you move, drag up, or sign the book.