If you’re interested in starting a new career as a lineman, you could be on a path to earn a lucrative wage with a relatively low cost for training. But what can you expect to see for your lineman salary? Here, we’ve laid out not only what is a typical base pay, but also which other elements may come into play to impact what you make in total.
Average base salary
According to Lineman Central, the median salary for a lineman in the United States in 2022 is $79,843/year. Most lineman jobs are paid hourly, though, and the median hourly wage comes out to $41.50/hour. However, there are several other factors to consider which could impact how much your total earnings will be.
Additional benefits
- Bonuses
- On top of the base salary, a lineman can also expect to receive bonuses as well. According to Payscale, this can range from $197–$10,000!
- Health benefits
- In addition to their salaries and bonuses, many lineman also receive health benefits. Of surveyed linemen, 81% stated that they receive medical insurance, 70% receive dental insurance, and 61% receive vision insurance.
Other factors that can affect your pay
- A career as a lineman isn’t one-size-fits-all, and there are many career paths you could potentially pursue. As The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes, you could see different pay depending on whether you’re an electrical power-line installer and repairer or a telecommunications line installer and repairer — and then again depending on which industry you’re working in.
- The median annual wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers in 2021 was $78,310. The top industries were:
- Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution ($90,960)
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals ($76,090)
- Power and communication line and related structures construction ($62,420)
- Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors ($60,820)
- The median annual wage for telecommunications line installers and repairers in 2021 was $60,190. The top industries were:
- Telecommunications ($65,030)
- Building equipment contractors ($48,570)
- Utility system construction ($47,070)
- The median annual wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers in 2021 was $78,310. The top industries were:
- Lineman salaries can also vary widely by state. According to The BLS, the following were the top five states for median annual lineman salary in 2021.
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers:
- Hawaii ($104,480)
- California ($102,150)
- Connecticut ($99,250)
- Oregon ($98,770)
- New York ($98,710)
- Telecommunications line installers and repairers:
- New Jersey ($92,220)
- Massachusetts ($88,220)
- New York ($77,770)
- Illinois ($76,060)
- Vermont ($75,430)
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers:
- Adding certain skills can also give your salary a boost. These can include:
- Systems troubleshooting
- Heavy equipment operation
- And more!
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