Lineman salary in Kingsport, TN-VA
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in the Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA area earn a median of $78,860 a year, or $37.91 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $100,900. Statewide, linemen earn a median of $83,660; Kingsport is 6% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $26.98/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 110
- After cost of living
- $91,220
- Median hourly pay
- $37.91/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −17%
- vs Tennessee median
- −6%
Apprentice and journeyman lineman pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $56,110–$63,580$26.98–$30.57/hr | |
| Journeyman | $78,860$37.91/hr | |
| Top earners | $96,180–$100,900$46.24–$48.51/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Kingsport, TN-VA compares
- Kingsport ranks 9th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for lineman pay.
- Linemen are more concentrated in the Kingsport area than nationally: 0.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $100,900, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $56,110: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Tennessee metro areas
Other trades in Kingsport, TN-VA
Questions
- How much do linemen make in Kingsport, TN-VA?
- Linemen in the Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA area earn a median of $78,860 a year, or $37.91 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $100,900.
- How much do linemen make an hour in Kingsport, TN-VA?
- The median hourly wage is $37.91. The middle half earn between $30.57 and $46.24 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice linemen make in Kingsport, TN-VA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $26.98 an hour ($56,110 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $30.57.
- How much does a journeyman lineman make in Kingsport, TN-VA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $78,860 a year ($37.91 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $96,180–$100,900.
- Do linemen make more in Kingsport or Knoxville?
- Knoxville pays more: the median is $78,860 in Kingsport and $99,780 in Knoxville, a 21% difference.
- How does Kingsport pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?
- The Kingsport median of $78,860 is 6% less than the Tennessee median of $83,660.
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 28700 (Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA). 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 (86.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures