Career
Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Build and repair the lines that carry electricity.
$95,320
Median pay
+10.3%
Job growth, 2025–35
10,900
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
- Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
- Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
- Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
- Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Troubleshooting, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though long-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $95,320 a year and 10,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Electrical and Power Transmission Installation/Installer, GeneralCIP 46.0301
- LineworkerCIP 46.0303
- Electrical and Power Transmission Installers, OtherCIP 46.0399
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers$74,330 · -3.4%
- Helpers--Electricians$42,670 · +0.6%
- Electricians$63,190 · +9.2%
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay$103,020 · +9.7%
- Hoist and Winch Operators$56,450 · +0.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.