Lineman salary in the District of Columbia
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in the District of Columbia earn a median of $101,240 a year, or $48.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $132,900. That's 6% more than the national median of $95,320, 24th of 51 states and DC.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $32.57/hr
- Jobs in the District of Columbia
- 150
- After cost of living
- $92,120
- Median hourly pay
- $48.67/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +6%
- Rank among states
- 24th of 51
Apprentice and journeyman lineman pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $67,750–$84,170$32.57–$40.47/hr | |
| Journeyman | $101,240$48.67/hr | |
| Top earners | $132,200–$132,900$63.56–$63.89/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How the District of Columbia compares
- Linemen are less concentrated in the District of Columbia than nationally: 0.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.25 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $132,900, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $67,750: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Other trades in the District of Columbia
Questions
- How much do linemen make in the District of Columbia?
- Linemen in the District of Columbia earn a median of $101,240 a year, or $48.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $132,900.
- How much do linemen make an hour in the District of Columbia?
- The median hourly wage is $48.67. The middle half earn between $40.47 and $63.56 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice linemen make in the District of Columbia?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $32.57 an hour ($67,750 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $40.47.
- How much does a journeyman lineman make in the District of Columbia?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $101,240 a year ($48.67 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $132,200–$132,900.
- Do linemen in the District of Columbia earn more than the national average?
- The District of Columbia median of $101,240 is 6% more than the U.S. median of $95,320. Prices in the District of Columbia run 10% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $92,120 would nationally.
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 11. 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 (109.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures