Lineman salary in Charleston, SC
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in the Charleston–North Charleston, SC area earn a median of $75,570 a year, or $36.33 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $98,680. That's 2% less than the South Carolina median of $76,870.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $23.95/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 300
- After cost of living
- $74,850
- Median hourly pay
- $36.33/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −21%
- vs South Carolina median
- −2%
Apprentice and journeyman lineman pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $49,820–$62,150$23.95–$29.88/hr | |
| Journeyman | $75,570$36.33/hr | |
| Top earners | $96,210–$98,680$46.26–$47.44/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Charleston, SC compares
- Charleston ranks 6th of 8 South Carolina metro areas for lineman pay.
- Linemen are less concentrated in the Charleston area than nationally: 0.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.90 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $98,680, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $49,820: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other South Carolina metro areas
Other trades in Charleston, SC
Questions
- How much do linemen make in Charleston, SC?
- Linemen in the Charleston–North Charleston, SC area earn a median of $75,570 a year, or $36.33 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $98,680.
- How much do linemen make an hour in Charleston, SC?
- The median hourly wage is $36.33. The middle half earn between $29.88 and $46.26 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice linemen make in Charleston, SC?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.95 an hour ($49,820 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.88.
- How much does a journeyman lineman make in Charleston, SC?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $75,570 a year ($36.33 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $96,210–$98,680.
- Do linemen make more in Charleston or Charlotte?
- Charlotte pays more: the median is $75,570 in Charleston and $81,740 in Charlotte, a 8% difference.
- How does Charleston pay compare with the rest of South Carolina?
- The Charleston median of $75,570 is 2% less than the South Carolina median of $76,870.
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 16700 (Charleston-North Charleston, SC). 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 (101.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures