Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$95,320

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$67,270 – $109,740

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

131,070

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+10.3%

Growing at twice the all-jobs rate or more (7%+)

Openings a year (projected)

10,900

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.

Main tasks

• Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
• Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
• Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
• Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
• Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
• Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.
• Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers.
• Replace or straighten damaged poles.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Training once hired: long-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 1–2

Little to some preparation

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 3 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

  $74,330 median · -3.4% projected

• Electricians

  $63,190 median · +9.2% projected

• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

  $103,020 median · +9.7% projected

• Hoist and Winch Operators

  $56,450 median · +0.2% projected

• Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment

  $84,890 median · +5.4% projected

• Signal and Track Switch Repairers

  $92,460 median · +1.8% projected