Power lineman salary by state changes fast once you factor in overtime, union scale, storm calls, per diem, and utility versus contractor work. This guide gives you the numbers that matter before you drag up, take a call, or chase higher pay.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks this trade as Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, SOC 49-9051. The national median wage was $92,560 per year, or $44.50 per hour, in May 2024. The lowest 10 percent earned under $50,020, while the highest 10 percent earned over $126,610. BLS also reports 127,400 jobs in 2024 and 7 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034.
Power lineman salary by state looks simple on paper, but the base wage is only the floor. A journeyman lineman working 40 hours at $48 an hour grosses about $99,840 a year. The same hand working 60 hours with overtime at time and a half grosses about $149,760 before per diem, storm pay, double time, or bonuses.
That is why two linemen in the same state show different W-2s. One works a municipal troubleman job with steady hours. Another works transmission construction, takes every storm call, lives on per diem, and spends half the year out of a motel.
BLS wage data does not include every piece of a lineman’s check. It reports wages, not the full value of health insurance, pension, annuity, line school debt, per diem, show-up pay, truck pay, or storm restoration premiums.
Use this table as a planning tool, not a guarantee. The strongest states for lineman salary usually combine high utility density, expensive labor markets, strong union scale, large transmission work, storm exposure, or hard-to-staff rural systems.
| State or market | Typical journeyman pay position | What drives the number |
|---|---|---|
| California | Very high | IOU scale, cost of living, wildfire hardening, major distribution work |
| Washington | Very high | Utility scale, hydro and transmission work, strong union presence |
| Oregon | High | Utility construction, transmission work, West Coast wage pressure |
| New York | High | Dense grid, utility work, metro pay, storm response |
| Massachusetts | High | Northeast utility scale and expensive labor market |
| Illinois | High | Large utilities, strong union halls, heavy distribution workload |
| New Jersey | High | Dense service territory, utility work, storm exposure |
| Connecticut | High | Northeast scale and coastal storm restoration |
| Alaska | High | Remote work, harsh conditions, high cost markets |
| Hawaii | High | Island utility work, high living costs, limited labor pool |
| Arizona | High | Growth, heat work, utility expansion |
| Florida | Middle to high | Hurricane work, rapid growth, large contractor presence |
| Texas | Middle to high | Huge employment base, IOU and co-op mix, transmission buildout |
| Georgia | Middle to high | Large utility systems, contractor work, storm response |
| North Carolina | Middle to high | Distribution growth, co-op work, hurricane exposure |
| Tennessee | Middle | TVA region, municipal and co-op work, contractor calls |
| Ohio | Middle | Large utility base, steady distribution and transmission work |
| Pennsylvania | Middle | Utility work, union scale, regional storm work |
| Michigan | Middle | IOU work, winter storms, aging distribution systems |
| Wisconsin | Middle | Utility and co-op work, cold-weather reliability work |
| Minnesota | Middle | Utility work, winter restoration, transmission maintenance |
| Indiana | Middle | Utility and contractor work, lower cost of living |
| Missouri | Middle | IOU, co-op, and municipal mix |
| Louisiana | Middle | Hurricane restoration, industrial load, contractor work |
| Oklahoma | Middle to lower | Strong lineman concentration, lower wage floor in some markets |
| Mississippi | Lower to middle | Co-op and storm work, lower base wages |
| Alabama | Lower to middle | Co-op, utility, and contractor mix |
| Arkansas | Lower to middle | Co-op-heavy market, lower cost of living |
| South Carolina | Lower to middle | Growth market, utility and co-op work |
| Kentucky | Lower to middle | Co-op and municipal work, strong lineworker concentration |
| West Virginia | Lower to middle | Mountain work, utility maintenance, lower wage floor |
| New Mexico | Lower to middle | Rural systems, transmission, desert conditions |
| Wyoming | Middle | High lineworker concentration, transmission and rural work |
| North Dakota | Middle | Rural systems, wind and transmission support |
| South Dakota | Middle | High lineworker concentration, rural co-op work |
| Montana | Middle | Rural systems, long drives, weather exposure |
| Idaho | Middle | Utility and co-op work, growth pressure |
| Utah | Middle | Growth, municipal and utility work |
| Nevada | Middle to high | Utility work, desert transmission, Las Vegas load |
| Colorado | Middle to high | Growth, mountain work, utility construction |
| Nebraska | Middle | Public power and rural systems |
| Iowa | Middle | Utility, municipal, and co-op mix |
| Kansas | Middle | Co-op and utility work, wind transmission support |
| Maine | Middle | Storm restoration, rural line miles |
| New Hampshire | Middle | Storm work and rural distribution |
| Vermont | Middle | Rural distribution and weather work |
| Rhode Island | Middle | Small market, Northeast wage pressure |
| Delaware | Middle | Small market, utility work |
| Maryland | Middle to high | Utility work, metro labor pressure |
| Virginia | Middle to high | Data center load, utility work, storm response |
BLS publishes annual OEWS state wage tables for this occupation, and the May 2024 state tables are the cleanest public source for comparing state-level employment and wages.
A high power lineman salary by state does not automatically mean more money in your pocket. A $56 hourly wage in California does not spend like $48 an hour in Tennessee when rent, fuel, state taxes, and commute time hit the check.
Before you chase a state, run the whole package:
That is where a lower base rate beats a higher one. A transmission call at $44 with $150 a day per diem, 6-10s, and Sundays available out-earns a clean 40-hour utility job at $52.
Union scale sets the floor in many of the best lineman pay markets. IBEW outside construction calls often separate groundman, operator, apprentice, and journeyman lineman rates. A journeyman lineman with a valid ticket, CDL, and hot work experience gets access to higher calls than a hand who only has line school and no hours.
Utility jobs pay differently. Investor-owned utilities often pay strong wages with benefits, paid training, troubleman progression, and scheduled overtime. Co-ops and municipals vary. Some pay below IOU scale but offer home time, a pension, and steady work. Others run lean, and you earn your money covering a lot of line miles with a small crew.
Contractor work pays when the hours are there. Storm, transmission, reconductoring, pole changeouts, underground conversions, and wildfire hardening push checks up fast. The tradeoff is travel, layoffs, job-to-job movement, and more time away from home.
Apprentice lineman salary by state follows the journeyman rate. Many outside line apprentices start around 50 to 60 percent of journeyman scale and step up as they gain hours and pass required training. A common progression moves through several steps over roughly 7,000 to 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, depending on the apprenticeship program.
Example using a $50 journeyman rate:
| Step | Percent of JL rate | Hourly rate | Annual at 2,080 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry apprentice | 60% | $30.00 | $62,400 |
| Mid-step apprentice | 75% | $37.50 | $78,000 |
| Advanced apprentice | 90% | $45.00 | $93,600 |
| Journeyman lineman | 100% | $50.00 | $104,000 |
That table does not include overtime. A second-step apprentice on a busy contractor crew often grosses more than a first-year journeyman in a slow market because hours beat the rate when storm and transmission work are stacked.
Groundman pay changes even more than journeyman pay. A CDL groundman with flagger, OSHA 10 ET&D, first aid, CPR, and underground experience gets a better shot than someone walking in cold. A groundman without a CDL usually lands at the bottom of the list.
Expect entry-level groundman pay to sit well below journeyman scale. In many markets, the real goal is not the first paycheck. The goal is getting documented hours, learning material, staying useful around the digger derrick, and building enough reputation to get into an apprenticeship.
Line school helps when it gets you climbing time, pole-top rescue, basic rigging, CDL prep, and the confidence to work around crews. It does not replace apprenticeship hours or a journeyman ticket.
The best lineman salary states reward the same things: ticket, CDL, hot work, storm readiness, and the ability to work without babysitting.
For distribution, the money improves when you handle energized primary, transformers, cutouts, regulators, URD faults, and trouble calls. For transmission, pay improves when you bring experience with steel, lattice towers, helicopters, spacer carts, pulling tension, and long travel jobs. For underground, crews value splicing, fault locating, cable pulling, padmount work, and switching discipline.
Storm pay changes everything. Hurricane, ice, fire, and wind restoration work turns a normal month into a large check, but it is not free money. You work long shifts, sleep badly, eat gas-station food, and deal with damaged circuits, backfeed, generators, trees, wire down, and customers standing too close.
California is consistently one of the highest-paying states for electrical power-line installers and repairers. High wages come from utility scale, cost of living, wildfire hardening work, and large grid investment.
Nationally, electrical power-line installers and repairers earned a median of $92,560 in May 2024. A journeyman lineman working overtime, storm, or travel construction often grosses well above the median.
Usually, yes. Strong union scale raises the floor for journeyman linemen, apprentices, operators, and groundmen. The full package matters more than the hourly rate, especially pension, annuity, health coverage, overtime, and per diem.
Not cleanly. BLS wage data captures wages from employer surveys, but it does not show the full story of storm restoration, per diem, travel pay, bonuses, or double-time-heavy months.
Yes. An advanced apprentice in a strong wage state, working 6-10s, storm calls, or travel construction, reaches six figures before topping out. A slow 40-hour schedule will not get there as fast.
Power lineman salary by state gives you the map, but the job call gives you the paycheck. Compare the hourly rate, overtime, per diem, work type, and benefits before you move your tools.
Search current lineman, journeyman lineman, apprentice lineman, groundman, transmission, distribution, substation, and underground jobs at PowerLinemanJobs.com.