How much do linemen make?
Linemen make $95,320 a year at the national median, and the middle half earn between $67,270 and $109,740.[onet_line][oews] The BLS occupation is electrical power-line installers and repairers (SOC 49-9051): the workers who build and maintain transmission and distribution lines for utilities and line contractors. BLS estimated 131,070 such jobs in May 2025.[oews_api]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $51,470 | $24.75 | $43,536 |
| 25th | $67,270 | $32.34 | $56,154 |
| Median (50th) | $95,320 | $45.83 | $75,888 |
| 75th | $109,740 | $52.76 | $86,032 |
| 90th | $128,690 | $61.87 | $99,226 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Lineman pay starts high for a trade: the 10th percentile ($51,470) is close to the 29th percentile of electricians. Journeyman linemen on utility and contractor crews sit in the upper half; apprentices are paid a share of the journeyman rate on a written schedule.[onet_elec][ecfr295]
Storm work and lineman overtime
Outage restoration after storms is paid as overtime, and BLS wage figures leave it out entirely: they measure straight-time pay only.[oews_faq] At the median rate, a 16-hour-day storm week of 80 hours (40 regular plus 40 at time and a half) grosses about $4,583, more than 2.5 times a normal week.[flsa]
| Percentile | Hourly | 40 h | 60 h | 80 h (storm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $24.75 | $990 | $1,732 | $2,475 |
| 25th | $32.34 | $1,294 | $2,264 | $3,234 |
| Median | $45.83 | $1,833 | $3,208 | $4,583 |
| 75th | $52.76 | $2,110 | $3,693 | $5,276 |
| 90th | $61.87 | $2,475 | $4,331 | $6,187 |
How many storm weeks a lineman works in a year varies too much to average, so we do not publish a "with overtime" annual figure; put your own hours into the calculator above.
Lineman salary by state
Hawaii pays linemen the most at a median of $134,340, followed by Washington ($133,060) and Oregon ($131,090); Arizona is lowest at $75,420.[onet_line][oews_api] California detail, with every metro area and journeyman and apprentice pay, is on lineman salary California.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hawaii | $134,340 | $64.59 | $81,120 | $144,170 | 600 |
| 2. Washington | $133,060 | $63.97 | $80,640 | $147,810 | 2,340 |
| 3. Oregon | $131,090 | $63.02 | $77,330 | $153,860 | 1,640 |
| 4. California | $129,040 | $62.04 | $77,350 | $167,090 | 8,930 |
| 5. Connecticut | $126,850 | $60.99 | $46,960 | $135,730 | 940 |
| 6. Idaho | $125,410 | $60.29 | $75,770 | $131,140 | 860 |
| 7. New Jersey | $121,580 | $58.45 | $81,470 | $126,350 | 1,310 |
| 8. New York | $121,280 | $58.31 | $58,740 | $141,160 | 5,840 |
| 9. Montana | $110,320 | $53.04 | $73,220 | $125,010 | 680 |
| 10. Massachusetts | $110,210 | $52.99 | $81,470 | $127,620 | 2,350 |
| 11. Vermont | $108,520 | $52.17 | $89,450 | $125,680 | 270 |
| 12. Illinois | $108,120 | $51.98 | $72,820 | $129,230 | 3,090 |
| 13. Michigan | $106,890 | $51.39 | $65,480 | $131,570 | 2,800 |
| 14. Pennsylvania | $106,230 | $51.07 | $64,550 | $122,510 | 4,150 |
| 15. Maryland | $106,090 | $51.00 | $62,160 | $124,750 | 1,830 |
| 16. North Dakota | $105,870 | $50.90 | $61,020 | $121,990 | 740 |
| 17. Wisconsin | $105,820 | $50.88 | $58,330 | $119,850 | 2,520 |
| 18. Rhode Island | $104,620 | $50.30 | $72,710 | $125,200 | 120 |
| 19. Minnesota | $104,180 | $50.09 | $78,390 | $122,110 | 2,190 |
| 20. Colorado | $103,980 | $49.99 | $59,170 | $131,360 | 2,370 |
| 21. New Hampshire | $102,170 | $49.12 | $67,030 | $126,870 | 560 |
| 22. Indiana | $102,040 | $49.06 | $53,290 | $116,720 | 2,540 |
| 23. Kansas | $101,620 | $48.86 | $50,510 | $122,970 | 1,610 |
| 24. District of Columbia | $101,240 | $48.67 | $67,750 | $132,900 | 150 |
| 25. Utah | $101,220 | $48.66 | $49,380 | $124,180 | 1,030 |
| 26. Iowa | $100,200 | $48.17 | $65,310 | $109,980 | 1,390 |
| 27. South Dakota | $97,310 | $46.78 | $63,840 | $118,530 | 740 |
| 28. Delaware | $97,180 | $46.72 | $48,570 | $119,790 | 330 |
| 29. Nevada | $96,560 | $46.42 | $65,000 | $134,930 | 920 |
| 30. Missouri | $96,360 | $46.33 | $59,900 | $115,740 | 3,440 |
| 31. Wyoming | $93,860 | $45.13 | $49,820 | $119,810 | 670 |
| 32. Ohio | $93,150 | $44.78 | $58,840 | $111,760 | 4,260 |
| 33. Alaska | $92,470 | $44.46 | $52,040 | $139,750 | 490 |
| 34. Nebraska | $92,150 | $44.30 | $52,930 | $118,040 | 1,490 |
| 35. Alabama | $92,030 | $44.25 | $44,150 | $105,400 | 2,730 |
| 36. Florida | $86,870 | $41.76 | $50,690 | $109,300 | 6,420 |
| 37. West Virginia | $83,810 | $40.29 | $47,760 | $115,350 | 1,260 |
| 38. Tennessee | $83,660 | $40.22 | $58,240 | $105,000 | 3,900 |
| 39. Maine | $83,090 | $39.95 | $52,190 | $121,950 | 1,160 |
| 40. Arkansas | $81,450 | $39.16 | $51,150 | $115,120 | 1,510 |
| 41. Georgia | $80,080 | $38.50 | $50,440 | $116,900 | 4,960 |
| 42. Texas | $78,940 | $37.95 | $46,760 | $107,550 | 17,280 |
| 43. North Carolina | $77,270 | $37.15 | $48,180 | $105,430 | 5,650 |
| 44. Kentucky | $77,020 | $37.03 | $47,770 | $102,400 | 2,930 |
| 45. South Carolina | $76,870 | $36.96 | $48,890 | $102,860 | 2,690 |
| 46. Virginia | $76,590 | $36.82 | $49,520 | $106,860 | 2,920 |
| 47. New Mexico | $76,470 | $36.76 | $46,640 | $105,590 | 1,020 |
| 48. Louisiana | $76,410 | $36.74 | $46,200 | $117,990 | 2,520 |
| 49. Oklahoma | $76,010 | $36.54 | $48,630 | $117,020 | 3,290 |
| 50. Mississippi | $75,890 | $36.49 | $45,620 | $98,200 | 2,290 |
| 51. Arizona | $75,420 | $36.26 | $48,760 | $124,300 | 3,360 |
Highest-paying areas for linemen
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest lineman median of any area, $157,620.[onet_line] Small crews mean some metro estimates rest on few workers, so treat single-area figures as a guide.
| Area | Median | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $157,620 | $75.78 |
| 2. Eugene-Springfield, OR | $140,270 | $67.44 |
| 3. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $137,180 | $65.95 |
| 4. Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $136,730 | $65.74 |
| 5. Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $135,450 | $65.12 |
| 6. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $135,400 | $65.10 |
| 7. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $135,300 | $65.05 |
| 8. Urban Honolulu, HI | $135,080 | $64.94 |
| 9. El Centro, CA | $134,950 | $64.88 |
| 10. Salem, OR | $134,500 | $64.66 |
BLS expects line jobs to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, well above the 3% average, with about 10,900 openings a year.[ooh_line] Getting in usually means a pre-apprentice line school or a direct utility or contractor apprenticeship; the steps, physical requirements and costs are on how to become a lineman. Compare line work with inside wiring on the electrician salary page and with elevator mechanic salary, another high-paying trade. Compare line work with other top trades on highest paying trades.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lineman salary in Texas?
$78,940 a year at the median (BLS, May 2025), $16,380 below the national median; Texas has no state income tax on wages and licenses journeyman linemen through TDLR.
How much do linemen make an hour?
$45.83 at the national median (BLS, May 2025); $24.75 at the 10th percentile and $61.87 at the 90th, before overtime.
What state pays linemen the most?
Hawaii ($134,340 median), then Washington and Oregon.
Do linemen make more than electricians?
Yes, at the national medians linemen earn $32,130 more a year ($95,320 vs $63,190), before storm overtime.
How much does a lineman take home?
A single filer at the national median keeps about $75,888 a year after 2026 federal income tax and FICA, before state tax and before overtime.
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
- Local Wages: 49-9051.00 Electrical power-line installers and repairers (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Overtime Pay (Fair Labor Standards Act: time and one-half after 40 hours in a workweek)
- Local Wages: 47-2111.00 Electricians (state and metro percentiles)
- 29 CFR 29.5, Standards of apprenticeship (2,000-hour minimum term; 144 hours related instruction recommended; progressive wage schedule)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Journeyman Lineman license (7,000 hours in a DOL-approved apprenticeship or 3.5 years as a lineman; $30 fee)