Wages
Lineman Pay in the US in 2026: Wages in All 50 States
Updated November 1, 2026
In the United States, the median wage for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) is $45.83 an hour (BLS, data from May 2025). Pay depends on the state and the metro area. The tables below give wages for every state and DC, and for large metro areas.
What do linemen earn in the US?
The first two tables give the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) wages for electrical power-line installers and repairers (SOC 49-9051), by the hour and by the year. Half of these workers earn more than the median, and half earn less. BLS counts telecommunications line installers in a separate group, so these figures do not include them.
Sources2
Lineman wages across the United States
Yearly lineman pay across the United States
Which states pay linemen the most?
In the state table, Hawaii has the highest median, and Arizona has the lowest. The table also gives the 10th and 90th percentiles for each state, beside the median. The yearly table after it gives the same states in yearly pay.
Sources2
Lineman wages by state
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) · Hourly, US dollars · Data from May 2025
| Place | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $21.23[2] | $44.24[2] | $50.67[2] |
| Alaska | $25.02[2] | $44.46[2] | $67.19[2] |
| Arizona | $23.44[2] | $36.26[2] | $59.76[2] |
| Arkansas | $24.59[2] | $39.16[2] | $55.34[2] |
| California | $37.19[2] | $62.04[2] | $80.33[2] |
| Colorado | $28.45[2] | $49.99[2] | $63.15[2] |
| Connecticut | $22.58[2] | $60.99[2] | $65.25[2] |
| Delaware | $23.35[2] | $46.72[2] | $57.59[2] |
| District of Columbia | $32.57[2] | $48.67[2] | $63.89[2] |
| Florida | $24.37[2] | $41.76[2] | $52.55[2] |
| Georgia | $24.25[2] | $38.50[2] | $56.20[2] |
| Hawaii | $39.00[2] | $64.59[2] | $69.31[2] |
| Idaho | $36.43[2] | $60.29[2] | $63.05[2] |
| Illinois | $35.01[2] | $51.98[2] | $62.13[2] |
| Indiana | $25.62[2] | $49.06[2] | $56.12[2] |
| Iowa | $31.40[2] | $48.17[2] | $52.87[2] |
| Kansas | $24.28[2] | $48.86[2] | $59.12[2] |
| Kentucky | $22.97[2] | $37.03[2] | $49.23[2] |
| Louisiana | $22.21[2] | $36.74[2] | $56.73[2] |
| Maine | $25.09[2] | $39.95[2] | $58.63[2] |
| Maryland | $29.88[2] | $51.01[2] | $59.98[2] |
| Massachusetts | $39.17[2] | $52.99[2] | $61.36[2] |
| Michigan | $31.48[2] | $51.39[2] | $63.25[2] |
| Minnesota | $37.69[2] | $50.09[2] | $58.71[2] |
| Mississippi | $21.93[2] | $36.49[2] | $47.21[2] |
| Missouri | $28.80[2] | $46.33[2] | $55.64[2] |
| Montana | $35.20[2] | $53.04[2] | $60.10[2] |
| Nebraska | $25.45[2] | $44.30[2] | $56.75[2] |
| Nevada | $31.25[2] | $46.42[2] | $64.87[2] |
| New Hampshire | $32.23[2] | $49.12[2] | $61.00[2] |
| New Jersey | $39.17[2] | $58.45[2] | $60.75[2] |
| New Mexico | $22.42[2] | $36.76[2] | $50.77[2] |
| New York | $28.24[2] | $58.31[2] | $67.87[2] |
| North Carolina | $23.16[2] | $37.15[2] | $50.69[2] |
| North Dakota | $29.34[2] | $50.90[2] | $58.65[2] |
| Ohio | $28.29[2] | $44.78[2] | $53.73[2] |
| Oklahoma | $23.38[2] | $36.54[2] | $56.26[2] |
| Oregon | $37.18[2] | $63.02[2] | $73.97[2] |
| Pennsylvania | $31.04[2] | $51.07[2] | $58.90[2] |
| Rhode Island | $34.96[2] | $50.30[2] | $60.19[2] |
| South Carolina | $23.51[2] | $36.96[2] | $49.45[2] |
| South Dakota | $30.69[2] | $46.79[2] | $56.99[2] |
| Tennessee | $28.00[2] | $40.22[2] | $50.48[2] |
| Texas | $22.48[2] | $37.95[2] | $51.71[2] |
| Utah | $23.74[2] | $48.66[2] | $59.70[2] |
| Vermont | $43.00[2] | $52.17[2] | $60.42[2] |
| Virginia | $23.81[2] | $36.82[2] | $51.37[2] |
| Washington | $38.77[2] | $63.97[2] | $71.06[2] |
| West Virginia | $22.96[2] | $40.29[2] | $55.46[2] |
| Wisconsin | $28.04[2] | $50.88[2] | $57.62[2] |
| Wyoming | $23.95[2] | $45.12[2] | $57.60[2] |
Yearly lineman pay by state
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) · Yearly, US dollars · Data from May 2025
| Place | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $92,030[2] | $105,400[2] |
| Alaska | $92,470[2] | $139,750[2] |
| Arizona | $75,420[2] | $124,300[2] |
| Arkansas | $81,450[2] | $115,120[2] |
| California | $129,040[2] | $167,090[2] |
| Colorado | $103,980[2] | $131,360[2] |
| Connecticut | $126,850[2] | $135,730[2] |
| Delaware | $97,180[2] | $119,790[2] |
| District of Columbia | $101,240[2] | $132,900[2] |
| Florida | $86,870[2] | $109,300[2] |
| Georgia | $80,080[2] | $116,900[2] |
| Hawaii | $134,340[2] | $144,170[2] |
| Idaho | $125,410[2] | $131,140[2] |
| Illinois | $108,120[2] | $129,230[2] |
| Indiana | $102,040[2] | $116,720[2] |
| Iowa | $100,200[2] | $109,980[2] |
| Kansas | $101,620[2] | $122,970[2] |
| Kentucky | $77,020[2] | $102,400[2] |
| Louisiana | $76,410[2] | $117,990[2] |
| Maine | $83,090[2] | $121,950[2] |
| Maryland | $106,090[2] | $124,750[2] |
| Massachusetts | $110,210[2] | $127,620[2] |
| Michigan | $106,890[2] | $131,570[2] |
| Minnesota | $104,180[2] | $122,110[2] |
| Mississippi | $75,890[2] | $98,200[2] |
| Missouri | $96,360[2] | $115,740[2] |
| Montana | $110,320[2] | $125,010[2] |
| Nebraska | $92,150[2] | $118,040[2] |
| Nevada | $96,560[2] | $134,930[2] |
| New Hampshire | $102,170[2] | $126,870[2] |
| New Jersey | $121,580[2] | $126,350[2] |
| New Mexico | $76,470[2] | $105,590[2] |
| New York | $121,280[2] | $141,160[2] |
| North Carolina | $77,270[2] | $105,430[2] |
| North Dakota | $105,870[2] | $121,990[2] |
| Ohio | $93,150[2] | $111,760[2] |
| Oklahoma | $76,010[2] | $117,020[2] |
| Oregon | $131,090[2] | $153,860[2] |
| Pennsylvania | $106,230[2] | $122,510[2] |
| Rhode Island | $104,620[2] | $125,200[2] |
| South Carolina | $76,870[2] | $102,860[2] |
| South Dakota | $97,310[2] | $118,530[2] |
| Tennessee | $83,660[2] | $105,000[2] |
| Texas | $78,940[2] | $107,550[2] |
| Utah | $101,220[2] | $124,180[2] |
| Vermont | $108,520[2] | $125,680[2] |
| Virginia | $76,590[2] | $106,860[2] |
| Washington | $133,060[2] | $147,810[2] |
| West Virginia | $83,810[2] | $115,350[2] |
| Wisconsin | $105,820[2] | $119,850[2] |
| Wyoming | $93,860[2] | $119,810[2] |
Which metro areas pay linemen the most?
The metro table lists 20 metro areas in alphabetical order. They are the 20 with the most linemen among the 50 metro areas with the most jobs in all occupations. Among them, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA has the highest median, and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ has the lowest. If your metro area is not in the table, use your state's row in the state table.
Sources2
Lineman wages in the 20 of the 50 largest metro areas with the most linemen
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) · Hourly, US dollars · Data from May 2025
| Place | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $25.05[2] | $40.18[2] | $58.85[2] |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $23.06[2] | $39.48[2] | $51.30[2] |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $39.05[2] | $53.60[2] | $61.81[2] |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $22.15[2] | $39.30[2] | $52.62[2] |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $35.01[2] | $59.34[2] | $63.35[2] |
| Columbus, OH | $24.43[2] | $39.31[2] | $53.03[2] |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $22.48[2] | $37.46[2] | $50.81[2] |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $28.45[2] | $43.80[2] | $63.66[2] |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $23.43[2] | $39.77[2] | $55.68[2] |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $37.14[2] | $62.71[2] | $81.51[2] |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $24.80[2] | $46.27[2] | $53.45[2] |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $40.86[2] | $51.37[2] | $58.81[2] |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $24.49[2] | $40.02[2] | $49.71[2] |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $28.14[2] | $58.89[2] | $71.51[2] |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $31.02[2] | $57.44[2] | $60.59[2] |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $23.03[2] | $36.26[2] | $63.60[2] |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $31.32[2] | $50.76[2] | $57.29[2] |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $36.09[2] | $61.90[2] | $78.49[2] |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $23.26[2] | $37.52[2] | $51.73[2] |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $28.36[2] | $45.91[2] | $59.92[2] |
What do Cook County public-works rates pay for line work?
On public works, state rules set a rate for each classification of electric power work. Each rate is for one classification, and the BLS median covers all linemen in the area. The list below gives three electric power classifications from the Cook County, Illinois prevailing wage rates. To compare a rate with the BLS median, find the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN row in the metro table. The Cook County rates were posted in October 2026, and the BLS medians are for May 2025.
Cook County prevailing wage rates for electric power work
- Cook County, Illinois prevailing wage for an electric power lineman: $67.18 an hour base and $73.73 for a foreman, posted October 19, 2026.[1]
- Cook County, Illinois prevailing wage for an electric power equipment operator: $67.18 an hour base.[1]
- Cook County, Illinois prevailing wage for an electric power groundman: $52.40 an hour base.[1]
- In Cook County, Illinois, prevailing wage overtime for these three electric power classifications is 1.5 times the base wage after 8 hours on a weekday and for every hour on Saturdays, and 2.0 times for every hour on Sundays and holidays.[1]
Before you move for line work
Check these points before you take a job in another state.
- Compare the metro median in the metro table, not only the state figure.
- Ask which classification you will work in. For Cook County, the list gives a rate for a lineman, an equipment operator and a groundman.
- Ask how overtime is paid. The Cook County list above gives its rule.
- Ask how travel and time away from home are paid before you accept.
Sources1
How to read these figures
BLS gives percentiles for each place. The 10th percentile is the wage that 10 percent of linemen earn less than. The 90th percentile is the wage that 10 percent earn more than. All BLS figures on this page are for May 2025. A cell that says No published figure has no BLS figure for that place.
Questions and answers
How much does a lineman make a year?
The yearly table gives the national figures. The yearly state table gives them for each state and DC.
How much does a lineman make in Texas?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX each have a row in the metro table. For another Texas city, use the Texas row in the state table.
How much does a lineman make in California?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA each have a row in the metro table. For another California city, use the California row in the state table.
How is lineman overtime paid on public works?
For Cook County, Illinois, the prevailing-wage list gives the overtime rule. For other jobs, ask the employer how it pays overtime before you accept.
Can Werko match me with a US lineman job?
No. Werko matches trades workers in Canada now. You can join the US waitlist on this page.
Sources
- Cook County Prevailing Wage Rates posted on 10/19/2026
Illinois Department of Labor. Retrieved October 31, 2026
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved October 31, 2026