Lineman salary in Wisconsin
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Linemen in Wisconsin earn a median of $105,820 a year, or $50.88 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $119,850 a year. Wisconsin ranks 17th of 51 states and DC for lineman pay, at 11% more than the U.S. median of $95,320.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $28.04/hr
- Jobs in Wisconsin
- 2,520
- After cost of living
- $112,460
- Median hourly pay
- $50.88/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +11%
- Rank among states
- 17th of 51
Apprentice and journeyman lineman pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $58,330–$82,150$28.04–$39.50/hr | |
| Journeyman | $105,820$50.88/hr | |
| Top earners | $112,150–$119,850$53.92–$57.62/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Wisconsin compares
- Linemen hold about the same share of jobs in Wisconsin as nationally: 0.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $119,850, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $58,330: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Wisconsin
- South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area$104,580
- Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area$103,140
- Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area$102,930
- Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area$100,890
Other trades in Wisconsin
Questions
- How much do linemen make in Wisconsin?
- Linemen in Wisconsin earn a median of $105,820 a year, or $50.88 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $119,850 a year.
- How much do linemen make an hour in Wisconsin?
- The median hourly wage is $50.88. The middle half earn between $39.50 and $53.92 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice linemen make in Wisconsin?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $28.04 an hour ($58,330 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $39.50.
- How much does a journeyman lineman make in Wisconsin?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $105,820 a year ($50.88 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $112,150–$119,850.
- Where in Wisconsin do linemen earn the most?
- Among Wisconsin metro areas, Milwaukee–Waukesha has the highest median at $109,000 a year, and Sheboygan the lowest at $94,520.
- Do linemen in Wisconsin earn more than the national average?
- The Wisconsin median of $105,820 is 11% more than the U.S. median of $95,320. Prices in Wisconsin run 6% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $112,460 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 55. 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 (94.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures