Lineman salary in San Jose, CA
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area earn a median of $157,620 a year, or $75.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $196,690. Statewide, linemen earn a median of $129,040; San Jose is 22% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $48.17/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 300
- After cost of living
- $142,740
- Median hourly pay
- $75.78/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +65%
- vs California median
- +22%
Apprentice and journeyman lineman pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $100,200–$121,590$48.17–$58.46/hr | |
| Journeyman | $157,620$75.78/hr | |
| Top earners | $196,690–$196,690$94.56–$94.56/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How San Jose, CA compares
- San Jose has the highest lineman median of the 12 California metro areas with published pay.
- Linemen are less concentrated in the San Jose area than nationally: 0.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.32 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $196,690, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $100,200: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other California metro areas
Other trades in San Jose, CA
Questions
- How much do linemen make in San Jose, CA?
- Linemen in the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area earn a median of $157,620 a year, or $75.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $196,690.
- How much do linemen make an hour in San Jose, CA?
- The median hourly wage is $75.78. The middle half earn between $58.46 and $94.56 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice linemen make in San Jose, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $48.17 an hour ($100,200 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $58.46.
- How much does a journeyman lineman make in San Jose, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $157,620 a year ($75.78 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $196,690–$196,690.
- Do linemen make more in San Jose or San Francisco?
- San Jose pays more: the median is $157,620 in San Jose and $137,180 in San Francisco, a 15% difference.
- How does San Jose pay compare with the rest of California?
- The San Jose median of $157,620 is 22% more than 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 41940 (San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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 (110.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures