The national median pay for lineworkers was $92,560* per year in May 2024. And, you do not need a four-year degree to get started in this field.
If you are weighing your options right now, whether that is stacking up student loan math or trying to figure out what kind of career actually pays off, this is the full breakdown.
How Much Do Lineworkers Make?
The short answer: Compensation varies widely by employer, location, and experience.
| Percentile | BLS Reported Annual Salary |
| Bottom 10% | Less than $50,020 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $92,560 |
| Top 10% | More than $126,610 |
Who you work for matters, too.
Lineworkers at utilities earned a national median of $102,050 per year. Federal government positions paid $104,540. Workers in utility system construction, which includes a lot of the contracting firms that hire entry-level lineworkers, earned a median of $74,550.
Union membership can also increase pay. A 2020 BLS analysis of lineworker wages by bargaining status found that union electrical power-line installers and repairers averaged $40.02 per hour in 2019, compared to $26.67 per hour for nonunion workers. This increased in 2022, with full-time salary workers earning $1,216 a week compared to $1,029 for nonunion workers.
Overtime can increase annual earnings. Storm season, emergency outages, and large infrastructure projects all drive extended shifts, nights, and weekends at premium rates.
How Much Can a Lineworker Make in Virginia?
Virginia pay varies depending on experience, employer, and where in the state you are working. According to Indeed, lineworkers in Virginia earn an average base salary of $52,083 per year as of March 9, 2026, based on 142 salaries from job postings. That number leans toward entry-level and mid-level contractor roles, so it is not the full picture.
For more experienced workers, the numbers climb. Lineman Central reports that journeyman-level lineworkers at the 90th percentile earn approximately $102,450 per year in Virginia. Indeed’s journeyperson lineperson data shows an average of $73,300 per year as of December 2025, while Glassdoor places top earners at approximately $82,000 per year.
Why the gap between sources?
Indeed pulls mostly from contractor job postings. BLS data factors in utility employers, government positions, and senior roles that bring the average up. Both are accurate.
Salaries in the Hampton Roads Area
If you are training in southeastern Virginia, this is the data that matters most. Indeed tracks the highest-paying companies for lineworkers in Virginia, and several of the top employers operate right in the Hampton Roads region:
| Company | Average Annual Salary |
| Lee Electrical Construction | $111,280 |
| Primoris Distribution Services | $87,620 |
| Insight Global | $79,373 |
| Henkels & McCoy | $78,000 |
| Primoris Services Corporation | $77,307 |
| HKA Enterprises | $73,840 |
Virginia’s coastal geography also means storm-related overtime is a real factor. Hurricanes, tropical storms, and severe weather drive extended emergency shifts that pay 1.5 times the standard rate, and some employers add travel or hazard premiums on top of that.
How Much Do Apprentice Linemen Make in Virginia?
Apprentice lineworkers entering the field in 2026 earn an average of $52,350 per year nationally, based on Lineman Central’s analysis of workers with zero to five years of experience. The bottom 10% earned under $31,685, while the top 10% pulled in $85,250 or more.
Here is what makes that number more notable than it might look at first glance: apprentices are eligible for overtime from day one.
Linework regularly involves irregular hours, emergency callouts, and weekend shifts, and overtime income can narrow the gap between apprentice and journeyman base pay faster than the base rate alone suggests.
Pay can increase in stages throughout the apprenticeship. As you log hours and demonstrate competency at each level, your rate typically goes up. Most apprenticeship programs run up to three years and combine on-the-job training with technical instruction. After completing the program, workers achieve journey-level status and can work independently.
A first-year lineworker can approach or exceed that figure before overtime even enters the equation.
What Affects a Lineworker’s Pay?
Not every lineworker takes home the same check. Several factors determine where you fall within the range covered above:
- Years of experience
- Classification as an apprentice, journeyman, or foreman
- Union membership
- Employer type (utility, contractor, or government)
- Geographic location
- Transmission vs. distribution work: Transmission lineworkers handle higher-voltage systems over longer distances, which typically pays more. Distribution work covers the lower-voltage lines running to homes and businesses.
- CDL certification: Most lineworkers who drive heavy vehicles need a commercial driver’s license. Having one, especially an interstate CDL, opens up more positions.
- Storm response participation
- Shift differentials (night, weekend, and holiday rates)
How Lineworkers Increase Their Earnings
Career progression in linework follows a defined track, and each milestone typically comes with a pay increase. Completing an apprenticeship and earning journey-level status is where the biggest jump usually happens.
Beyond that, here is where lineworkers find additional upside:
Storm Restoration Work
May provide opportunities for increased earnings, depending on hours worked and employer pay structure. When a hurricane or ice storm takes out power across a region, utilities and contractors pull in traveling crews from across the country. The pay is typically elevated, per diem covers expenses, and the overtime is important. The tradeoff is real: long hours, hard conditions, weeks away from home. But for lineworkers willing to take on that work, storm season can be the highest-earning stretch of the year.
Supervisory Roles
Crew leads and foremen manage teams, coordinate daily operations, and handle safety compliance and project management. These positions generally carry higher base pay.
High-Voltage Transmission Work
Transmission lines run at much higher voltages than distribution systems, require additional safety protocols and larger equipment, and often involve longer travel. Employers compensate for that complexity.
Technical Training Before Entering The Workforce
can help support this trajectory. Programs that introduce electrical fundamentals, safety protocols, and field operations give you exposure to the work before you start competing for apprentice positions.
Centura College’s Electrical Lineworker program in Norfolk is one such option as it helps prepare students for new careers in as little as 15 weeks.
Lineworker Job Outlook in Virginia
The BLS projects 7% employment growth for this occupation from 2024 to 2034, a rate the agency labels “much faster than the average” for all occupations, with roughly 10,700 job openings per year over the decade. That’s because a portion of the current workforce is approaching retirement.
Replacing that experience takes new workers, and the pipeline has to keep moving. Workforce retirements are one factor contributing to projected hiring demand.
Virginia’s Atlantic coastline adds its own layer as severe weather events that damage power infrastructure can create urgent need for restoration crews.
As utilities bring solar, wind, and battery storage online, the physical infrastructure connecting those sources to the grid still needs lineworkers to build and maintain it. The BLS points to electric vehicle adoption and growing grid complexity as factors behind the projected growth.
Is a Lineworker Career Worth It?
This is not a desk job, and it is not for everyone.
Lineworkers climb poles and towers, carry heavy equipment, and spend full shifts outside. Rain, heat, ice, wind. The work does not stop for weather. The BLS notes that the job involves serious hazards, including high-voltage electricity and the risk of falls. Safety training and protocols reduce those risks, but they do not eliminate them.
Emergency outages do not wait until morning. A phone call at 3 a.m. during a storm means you are getting up and going. Restoration work can mean weeks away from home, living out of a hotel in a city you have never been to, working 16-hour days until the lights come back on. If you need predictability and a climate-controlled workspace, those are factors worth considering before committing to this path.
When the power goes out after a storm, they are the ones who bring it back. That tangible impact, the physical nature of the work, and the camaraderie of working in tight-knit crews are reasons people stay in this trade for decades.
So, Is It Worth It?
If you are comfortable with physical outdoor work and you want to earn a living without spending four years and tens of thousands of dollars on a degree, the salary data and job outlook covered above make a case worth considering. Wages that start near the national median for all workers, a documented advancement track, and sustained hiring demand in a field that cannot be outsourced or automated.
If that sounds like the right career for you, reach out to a team member to discuss your goals and how we can help.
Frequently Asked Question
How long does it take to become a journeyman lineworker?
Most apprenticeship programs run up to three years, combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Once you complete the program and meet all competency requirements, you reach journey-level status.
Programs run jointly by employers and unions may vary in length.
Do lineworkers get paid during training?
Lineworkers in an apprenticeship is paid from day one, and wages increase as you advance through the program.
Pre-apprenticeship certificate programs at trade schools do involve tuition, but they are typically shorter and far less expensive than a two- or four-year degree.
Can lineworkers make six figures?
Yes, the top 10% of electrical power line installers and repairers earned over $126,610 per year as of May 2024. In Virginia, Glassdoor reports top earners reaching approximately $105,929 per year, and Indeed shows some companies paying over $100,000.
Is linework dangerous?
It carries real risk. You are working with high-voltage electricity, at significant heights, and in severe weather. The BLS states that lineworkers face serious hazards and must follow strict safety procedures. Insulated protective equipment, fall protection, and ongoing safety training reduce injury rates, but the physical nature of the work means risk cannot be fully eliminated.
Do power line technicians travel?
It depends on the job.
Utility lineworkers may stay within a defined service area. Contractors and workers doing interstate grid maintenance travel more frequently. Storm restoration is where it really picks up. You may be sent to disaster zones across multiple states for weeks at a time. Travel-heavy roles typically pay more and include per diem allowances.
Do lineworkers need a CDL?
If you are driving heavy utility vehicles, you will likely need a commercial driver’s license. Working across state lines may require an interstate CDL with additional federal requirements. Employers may help apprentices obtain their CDL as part of the training process.
Disclaimer: Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and third-party employment platforms. Earnings vary based on experience, employer, location, and overtime. No wage or employment outcomes are guaranteed.
