Lineman salary
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in the U.S. earn a median of $95,320 a year, or $45.83 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $128,690.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $24.74/hr
- Jobs nationwide
- 131,070
- Median hourly pay
- $45.83/hr
- Mean (average) pay
- $91,970 a year · $44.22 an hour
Pay by percentile
What linemen in the U.S. earn at each point of the pay range, May 2025: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, half earn less than the median, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
| Percentile | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $24.74 | $51,470 |
| 25th percentile | $32.34 | $67,270 |
| Median (50th) | $45.83 | $95,320 |
| 75th percentile | $52.76 | $109,740 |
| 90th percentile | $61.87 | $128,690 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS yearly figures are the hourly wage times 2,080 hours.
Pay over time
The median lineman wage in the U.S. rose 21.7%, from $78,310 in May 2021 to $95,320 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 1.9%.
| Year | Median a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $78,310 | $37.65/hr |
| May 2022 | $82,340 | $39.59/hr |
| May 2023 | $85,420 | $41.07/hr |
| May 2024 | $92,560 | $44.50/hr |
| May 2025 | $95,320 | $45.83/hr |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, each May release; inflation from the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, May of each year). BLS cautions against reading much into year-to-year changes, so we compare the first and last years. How we compare years
Lineman pay by state
- Hawaii$134,340
- Washington$133,060
- Oregon$131,090
- California$129,040
- Connecticut$126,850
- Idaho$125,410
- New Jersey$121,580
- New York$121,280
- Montana$110,320
- Massachusetts$110,210
See all 50 states and DC
- Vermont$108,520
- Illinois$108,120
- Michigan$106,890
- Pennsylvania$106,230
- Maryland$106,090
- North Dakota$105,870
- Wisconsin$105,820
- Rhode Island$104,620
- Minnesota$104,180
- Colorado$103,980
- New Hampshire$102,170
- Indiana$102,040
- Kansas$101,620
- District of Columbia$101,240
- Utah$101,220
- Iowa$100,200
- South Dakota$97,310
- Delaware$97,180
- Nevada$96,560
- Missouri$96,360
- Wyoming$93,860
- Ohio$93,150
- Alaska$92,470
- Nebraska$92,150
- Alabama$92,030
- Florida$86,870
- West Virginia$83,810
- Tennessee$83,660
- Maine$83,090
- Arkansas$81,450
- Georgia$80,080
- Texas$78,940
- North Carolina$77,270
- Kentucky$77,020
- South Carolina$76,870
- Virginia$76,590
- New Mexico$76,470
- Louisiana$76,410
- Oklahoma$76,010
- Mississippi$75,890
- Arizona$75,420
Top-paying metro areas
- San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa ClaraCA$157,620
- Eugene–SpringfieldOR$140,270
- San Francisco–Oakland–FremontCA$137,180
- Olympia–Lacey–TumwaterWA$135,450
- Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–NewburghNY$135,400
- Portland–Vancouver–HillsboroOR-WA$135,300
- Urban HonoluluHI$135,080
- SalemOR$134,500
- FresnoCA$134,150
- Seattle–Tacoma–BellevueWA$134,150
See the top 20
- BendOR$132,010
- Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–VenturaCA$131,050
- Los Angeles–Long Beach–AnaheimCA$130,440
- Bridgeport–Stamford–DanburyCT$130,080
- Riverside–San Bernardino–OntarioCA$128,750
- MedfordOR$128,030
- Albany–Schenectady–TroyNY$127,580
- Spokane–Spokane ValleyWA$127,490
- BinghamtonNY$127,170
- Sacramento–Roseville–FolsomCA$127,160
Other trades in the U.S.
Questions
- Which state pays linemen the most?
- Hawaii, with a median of $134,340 a year, followed by Washington ($133,060). Arizona has the lowest median, $75,420.
- Which metro area pays linemen the most?
- The San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area, with a median of $157,620 a year.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-9051 (Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed linemen and business owners aren't included. Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures