Lineman salary in South Carolina
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in South Carolina earn a median of $76,870 a year, or $36.96 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $102,860. Nationally the median is $95,320, so South Carolina pays 19% less than the U.S. overall and ranks 45th of 51.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $23.51/hr
- Jobs in South Carolina
- 2,690
- After cost of living
- $82,000
- Median hourly pay
- $36.96/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −19%
- Rank among states
- 45th of 51
Apprentice and journeyman lineman pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $48,890–$60,200$23.51–$28.94/hr | |
| Journeyman | $76,870$36.96/hr | |
| Top earners | $95,430–$102,860$45.88–$49.45/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How South Carolina compares
- Linemen are more concentrated in South Carolina than nationally: 1.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $102,860, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,890: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural South Carolina
- Southern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area$83,570
- Northeastern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area$79,570
- Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area$78,130
Other trades in South Carolina
Questions
- How much do linemen make in South Carolina?
- Linemen in South Carolina earn a median of $76,870 a year, or $36.96 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $102,860.
- How much do linemen make an hour in South Carolina?
- The median hourly wage is $36.96. The middle half earn between $28.94 and $45.88 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice linemen make in South Carolina?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.51 an hour ($48,890 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.94.
- How much does a journeyman lineman make in South Carolina?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $76,870 a year ($36.96 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $95,430–$102,860.
- Where in South Carolina do linemen earn the most?
- Among South Carolina metro areas, Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia has the highest median at $81,740 a year, and Columbia the lowest at $74,190.
- Do linemen in South Carolina earn more than the national average?
- The South Carolina median of $76,870 is 19% less than the U.S. median of $95,320. Prices in South Carolina run 6% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $82,000 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 45. 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 (93.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures