Electrical Lineman
Trades/Construction · $92,560 median · 15–208 weeks training · Structurally ineligible for Workforce Pell
How we know this
The BLS wage is verified; the supplementary figures are a best-knowledge estimate still being checked (OEWS/OOH 2024), last reviewed June 29, 2026. We show our sources so you can check every number yourself.
Honest tradeoffs
High-risk, on-call work
One of the more dangerous trades — high-voltage, heights, and storm-restoration call-outs in bad weather and at night. Overtime drives top pay but also long hours away from home.
Wages
Earnings by career stage
range · estimatedResearched estimates by experience level, setting, and region — see the full breakdown below. The BLS median is the one figure verified directly against bls.gov.
Pay by stage & setting
- Apprentice lineman (years 1-4, while training) $50-70K
- Journeyman distribution lineman $85-105K
- Transmission and storm-restoration lineman with overtime $110-145K+
- Line foreman / crew leader $120-160K. Overtime and storm work push top earners well past base pay.
Workforce Pell eligibility
Not eligible for Workforce Pell
Training
That's a wide span on purpose: you can start working after a short pre-apprenticeship or entry course, while the longer figure reflects a full apprenticeship. The career ladder below breaks the journey into steps.
Ways in
Paid, on-the-job training combined with classroom hours — you get a wage from day one instead of paying tuition.
Pay while training: $22-28/hr in year 1, scaling to roughly $40-55/hr at journeyman
Common sponsors: IBEW / NECA (electrical JATC), Utility employer programs, Northwest Lineman College (school route)
Credentials you'll earnwith typical prep time
Commercial Driver's License (CDL) — frequently required
State DMV / employer
Estimate, pending verification.
Cost vs. payoff
Cost vs. payoff
- Training cost
- $0–$20,000
- Time to start earning
- ~15 weeks
- Pays for itself in
- about 3 months
- Typical debt
- ~$30,000
- Time to start earning
- ~4 years
- Pays for itself in
- varies widely
We're not anti-college — for many careers a degree is the right call. But the honest gap is real: this path starts paying while a 4-year student is still accumulating cost. Degree figures are a national reference (average borrower debt ~$29–38K; sources vary), not a guarantee for any specific school or major.
Getting started — your first moves
- 1
Find an apprenticeship
Apply to a registered apprenticeship — you earn a paycheck from day one while you train, instead of paying tuition.
- 2
Earn your first credential
Study for and pass the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) — frequently required.
- 3
Get hired and grow
Land an entry role and start building experience — pay climbs as you move up the career ladder above.
See it where you live
The figures above are national. Pay and programs vary a lot by state — pick yours and we'll send you straight to the official local data, no guessing.
Career ladder
Apprentice lineman
Entry$60,000Earn while you learn; physically demanding, outdoor, on-call.
Training: Apprenticeship (IBEW/NECA) or lineman school + CDL
Journeyman lineman
Year 4$95,000Training: Complete apprenticeship
Line foreman / transmission lineman
Year 8$130,000
State licensure
No state-specific licensure requirements documented in corpus.
Data limitations
- • Training length/cost, apprenticeship pay range, certs, and career-ladder wages are researched estimates anchored to the verified BLS figures — confirm in a C2 pass.
Not sure Electrical Lineman is the one?
Answer five quick questions to see the paths that fit you best.