Lineman salary in Tennessee
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in Tennessee earn a median of $83,660 a year, or $40.22 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $105,000. Nationally the median is $95,320, so Tennessee pays 12% less than the U.S. overall and ranks 38th of 51.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $28.00/hr
- Jobs in Tennessee
- 3,900
- After cost of living
- $91,060
- Median hourly pay
- $40.22/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −12%
- Rank among states
- 38th of 51
Apprentice and journeyman lineman pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $58,240–$66,190$28.00–$31.82/hr | |
| Journeyman | $83,660$40.22/hr | |
| Top earners | $96,980–$105,000$46.63–$50.48/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Tennessee compares
- Linemen are more concentrated in Tennessee than nationally: 1.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $105,000, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $58,240: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Tennessee
- South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$83,710
- North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$81,950
- East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$80,320
- West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$79,970
Other trades in Tennessee
Questions
- How much do linemen make in Tennessee?
- Linemen in Tennessee earn a median of $83,660 a year, or $40.22 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $105,000.
- How much do linemen make an hour in Tennessee?
- The median hourly wage is $40.22. The middle half earn between $31.82 and $46.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice linemen make in Tennessee?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $28.00 an hour ($58,240 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $31.82.
- How much does a journeyman lineman make in Tennessee?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $83,660 a year ($40.22 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $96,980–$105,000.
- Where in Tennessee do linemen earn the most?
- Among Tennessee metro areas, Knoxville has the highest median at $99,780 a year, and Chattanooga the lowest at $78,240.
- Do linemen in Tennessee earn more than the national average?
- The Tennessee median of $83,660 is 12% less than the U.S. median of $95,320. Prices in Tennessee run 8% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $91,060 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 47. 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 (91.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures