Lineman salary in Riverside, CA
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA area earn a median of $128,750 a year, or $61.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $163,260. Statewide, linemen earn a median of $129,040; Riverside is right at that level.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $36.09/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 1,580
- After cost of living
- $120,960
- Median hourly pay
- $61.90/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +35%
- vs California median
- 0%
Apprentice and journeyman lineman pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $75,080–$94,810$36.09–$45.58/hr | |
| Journeyman | $128,750$61.90/hr | |
| Top earners | $149,280–$163,260$71.77–$78.49/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Riverside, CA compares
- Riverside ranks 7th of 12 California metro areas for lineman pay.
- Linemen hold about the same share of jobs in the Riverside area as nationally: 0.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $163,260, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $75,080: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other California metro areas
Other trades in Riverside, CA
Questions
- How much do linemen make in Riverside, CA?
- Linemen in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA area earn a median of $128,750 a year, or $61.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $163,260.
- How much do linemen make an hour in Riverside, CA?
- The median hourly wage is $61.90. The middle half earn between $45.58 and $71.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice linemen make in Riverside, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $36.09 an hour ($75,080 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $45.58.
- How much does a journeyman lineman make in Riverside, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $128,750 a year ($61.90 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $149,280–$163,260.
- Do linemen make more in Riverside or San Francisco?
- San Francisco pays more: the median is $128,750 in Riverside and $137,180 in San Francisco, a 6% difference.
- How does Riverside pay compare with the rest of California?
- The Riverside median of $128,750 is about the same as the California median of $129,040.
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), area code 40140 (Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed linemen and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (106.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures