Lineman career

What linemen do

• 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.

The most important tasks, as rated by workers in the occupation. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Job outlook

BLS projects lineman jobs will grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% for all U.S. jobs, with about 10,900 openings a year as people join, retire, and change careers.

Jobs in 2025

131,900

Projected for 2035

145,500

Openings a year

10,900

Self-employed

0.3%

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035. Job counts include self-employed workers.

Training

Typical education to start

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience in a related job

None

Typical on-the-job training

Long-term on-the-job training

Source: BLS Employment Projections. Licensing rules vary by state; confirm with your state's licensing board.

Top-paying states

All 50 states and DC, ranked by lineman pay

Top-paying metro areas

The top 20 metro areas for lineman pay

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