Career guide · SOC 49-9051
Electrical lineworker careers for veterans: the highest-paid trade on our list
Lineworkers had a national median of $95,320 in May 2025. In the lowest-paying state, the median was still higher than the national median of every other trade on this site except aircraft mechanics. Getting in takes physical tests, a CDL and years of training.
- Median pay, May 2025
- $95,320$45.83/hr[1]
- Middle 50% earn
- $67,270–$109,740
- Openings per year
- 10,9002025–35 avg[2]
- Typical route
- Long-term on-the-job training or an apprenticeship; CDL usually required
The pay, plainly
Electrical power-line installers and repairers had a national median of $95,320 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $51,470, which is higher than the median carpenter, welder or truck driver, and the 90th percentile was $128,690[1].
- 10th percentile$51,470 $24.74/hr
- 25th percentile$67,270 $32.34/hr
- Median$95,320 $45.83/hr
- 75th percentile$109,740 $52.76/hr
- 90th percentile$128,690 $61.87/hr
Spread from 10th to 90th percentile: $77,220. The 90th-percentile worker earns 2.5× the 10th. Mean annual wage: $91,970. Employment covered by the survey: 131,070 (wage and salary jobs; excludes the self-employed).
Even the lowest-paying state, Arizona, had a median of $75,420. That is higher than the national median for every other trade we track except aircraft mechanics. Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and California all had state medians above $129,000[3].
Highest state medians
- Hawaii $134,340
- Washington $133,060
- Oregon $131,090
- California $129,040
- Connecticut $126,850
Most concentrated (LQ)
- Wyoming 2.83
- Mississippi 2.34
- Oklahoma 2.29
- Maine 2.15
- West Virginia 2.14
State medians and location quotients from BLS OEWS, May 2025[3]. Concentration list includes only states with at least 500 jobs in the occupation. Lowest state median: Arizona at $75,420.
Those figures cover wage-and-salary work. BLS notes that most lineworkers work full time, some more than 40 hours a week, and that they work outdoors in all weather, including after storms damage power lines[2].
Why demand is growing
BLS projects 10% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 10,900 openings a year[2]. Among the twelve trades we track, only HVAC is projected to grow faster. As with most trades, BLS expects many openings to come from replacing workers who retire or change occupations.
- Jobs, 2025
- 131,900
- Projected growth, 2025–35
- 10% (Much faster than average)
- Net new jobs, 2025–35
- 13,600
- Openings per year
- 10,900
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers[2]. OOH job counts include self-employed workers and, for some profiles, related occupations, so they run higher than the OEWS wage-survey count above. Openings include replacement of workers who retire or change occupations, which is why they exceed net growth.
Getting hired: tests before training
Most lineworkers start with a high school diploma and long-term on-the-job training. BLS notes that some community colleges offer 1-year certificate or 2-year associate's programs, and that apprenticeships and employer training programs can last up to three years, with workers typically reaching journey level after three or four years of combined training and experience[2].
BLS also lists the screening that comes before many programs: apprenticeship programs may require a year of high school algebra, a qualifying aptitude-test score, a substance abuse screening and a fitness test. Workers who drive heavy vehicles usually need a commercial driver's licence[2]. If you drove heavy vehicles in the service, check whether you qualify for FMCSA's military skills-test waiver[4] before you pay for CDL training.
Before you apply
- Check that you can meet the climbing and fitness standards; ask programs what their test involves.
- Brush up on algebra if it has been a while, and ask whether the program uses an aptitude test.
- Get a CDL, using the military skills-test waiver if you qualify.
- Apply to utility, contractor or joint apprenticeship programs, or a lineworker certificate program.
- Ask whether the program is VA-approved, so you can use the GI Bill while you train.
Military occupations that map over
BLS notes that technical knowledge of electricity or electronics gained in the military can be helpful for this work[2]. The O*NET crosswalk links power-line work to military electrical and power-generation titles:
Military occupations O*NET links to this trade
- Army Powerline Distribution Specialist (RC)
- Navy Construction Electrician
- Navy Electrician's Mate
- Marine Corps Electrician
- Air Force Electrical Systems
- Coast Guard Electrician's Mate
A selection from 15 distinct enlisted and officer titles the O*NET Military Crosswalk links to SOC 49-9051 across 5 service categories[5]. A link means O*NET judged the duties related; it is not a credential, and it does not guarantee apprenticeship credit. Search your own code at O*NET's crosswalk to see your full list.
Your military job
| Branch | Codes O*NET links to this trade |
|---|---|
| Army MOS | 12Q Powerline Distribution Specialist (RC) |
| Navy rating | CE Construction Electrician EM Electrician's Mate |
| Air Force AFSC | 3E0X1 Electrical Systems |
| Marine Corps MOS | 1141 Electrician |
| Coast Guard rating | EM Electrician's Mate |
Source: O*NET military crosswalk, checked Oct 30, 2026. Each code links to its O*NET crosswalk entry. Branches without a row have no direct O*NET match for this trade.
The Army Reserve component's Powerline Distribution Specialist is the closest match. Seabee Construction Electricians and Air Force electrical systems specialists also work on distribution equipment. For shipboard and aviation electricians, the electrician page may be the more direct fit, and the two trades are worth comparing.
Where the jobs are
Texas had 17,280 lineworker jobs in May 2025, nearly twice as many as California[3]. Relative to the size of their workforce, Wyoming, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Maine employ the most lineworkers.
Where the jobs are: top 6 states by employment
| State | Jobs | Median pay | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 17,280 | $78,940 | 1.46 |
| California | 8,930 | $129,040 | 0.58 |
| Florida | 6,420 | $86,870 | 0.77 |
| New York | 5,840 | $121,280 | 0.72 |
| North Carolina | 5,650 | $77,270 | 1.36 |
| Georgia | 4,960 | $80,080 | 1.20 |
Together these 6 states hold 37% of the national total. Location quotient above 1.0 means the trade is a larger share of local jobs than nationally[3].
Paying for training
If a lineworker apprenticeship or on-the-job training program is VA-approved, eligible veterans can receive a monthly GI Bill housing payment alongside their wage[6]. Certificate programs at schools may also be GI Bill-approved; check the GI Bill Comparison Tool[7].
How the GI Bill housing payment steps down during OJT or an apprenticeship
| Training period | Share of the full monthly housing rate |
|---|---|
| Months 1–6 | 100% |
| Months 7–12 | 80% |
| Months 13–18 | 60% |
| Months 19–24 | 40% |
| Month 25 onward | 20% |
Post-9/11 GI Bill rates effective Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027. The full rate is the 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents at the training ZIP code, prorated by your eligibility tier and reduced in any month you log fewer than 120 hours[8].
Registered Trade Schools, a sister site, explains how to find a registered apprenticeship.
Sources
- BLS, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national file (oesm25nat.zip). https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (2025–35 projections). https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/line-installers-and-repairers.htm
- BLS, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 state file (oesm25st.zip). https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- FMCSA, Military Skills Test Waiver Program (page last updated Nov 29, 2017). https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/military-skills-test-waiver-program
- O*NET OnLine, Military Crosswalk Search (DMDC MOC crosswalk plus O*NET supplements). https://www.onetonline.org/crosswalk/MOC
- VA, On-the-job training and apprenticeships (last updated Feb 4, 2025). https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/on-the-job-training-apprenticeships/
- VA, GI Bill Comparison Tool (approved-program counts compiled Oct 29, 2026). https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/
- VA, Post-9/11 GI Bill rates, effective Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 (last updated Oct 13, 2026). https://www.va.gov/education/benefit-rates/post-9-11-gi-bill-rates/
Retrieved and checked October 30, 2026. Figures are reproduced as published; where we did arithmetic (ranges, ratios, shares), the inputs are the cited figures.