Lineworker (Power Line) Career Guide

Lineworker (Power Line)

E1-01

E1 Utility line work · Skilled level · O*NET 49-9051.00

this level, from Beaumont / Southeast Texas union minimum (IBEW 2286), 2026: $52.20/h
work over 40 h a week: 59%
load index from O*NET data: 3.8/5
Texas jobs 2024 to 2034: +6.4%

Pay

This level's pay (published records that name this rung)

Union scale (contract minimum) Beaumont / Southeast Texas union minimum (IBEW 2286), 2026

$52.20/h, Jrn Lineman, Beaumont / Southeast Texas, effective 2026-08-31

Source

IBEW LU 2286 / Southwestern Line Constructors Utility Outside Line Construction Agreement 9-4-23 to 8-29-27 (p. 8), read 2026-10-03

About $108,576 a year at 2,080 h (40 h x 52 weeks, no overtime).

Minimum base rate under one collective agreement in one area; not a market median, non-union employers are not bound by it.

$26.64-$73.68/h, lowest to highest figure in 9 current record(s) from 7 document(s). Minimum rates and pay ranges from different documents and areas; not a distribution.

All pay records and context (9)

Beaumont / Southeast Texas union minimum (IBEW 2286), 2026: $52.20/h, Jrn Lineman, Beaumont / Southeast Texas (IBEW 2286 jurisdiction), effective 2026-08-31 source
Oklahoma union minimum (IBEW 1002), 2026: $52.00/h, JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN - 100%, Oklahoma (IBEW 1002 jurisdiction) - nearby state; no current Texas-wide outside rate other than LU 2286 was found as a public document, effective 2026-06-28 source
City of Austin (incl. Austin Energy) pay range, 2025: $35.50 to $45.27/h, Distribution Electrician III, Austin, TX, effective 2025-06-15 source
Texas A&M System (system-wide pay plan) pay range, 2023: $26.64 to $54.43/h, Utilities Line Technician, Texas (A&M System members; the System Level structure is the Texas/US median level, local and major-market structures are -5% / +5%), effective 2023-09-01 older source
Texas A&M System (system-wide pay plan) pay range, 2023: $29.33 to $59.93/h, Senior Utilities Line Technician, Texas (A&M System members; the System Level structure is the Texas/US median level, local and major-market structures are -5% / +5%), effective 2023-09-01 older source
Texas A&M System (system-wide pay plan) pay range, 2023: $36.06 to $73.68/h, Master Utilities Line Technician, Texas (A&M System members; the System Level structure is the Texas/US median level, local and major-market structures are -5% / +5%), effective 2023-09-01 older source
Denton County Davis-Bacon minimum, 2024: $41.31/h, LINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN, Denton County, TX, effective 2024-06-02 older source
Dallas County Davis-Bacon minimum, 2024: $41.31/h, LINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN, Dallas County, TX, effective 2024-06-02 older source
Collin, Ellis, Kaufman and Rockwall Counties Davis-Bacon minimum, 2024: $41.31/h, LINE CONSTRUCTION: LINEMAN, Collin, Ellis, Kaufman and Rockwall Counties, TX, effective 2024-06-02 older source

Whole occupation: all Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
Series OEUS480000000000049905113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
Based on an estimated 17,280 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049905101).

Half of all Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers in Texas earn more than $78,940; the bottom 10% earned less than $46,760 and the top 10% more than $107,550 (May 2025, base pay, about 17,280 jobs). U.S. median $95,320.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, not level-specific
TWC, BLS
Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03

Texas: +6.4% jobs · about 1,230 openings a year (14,810 jobs in 2024)
United States: +6.6% jobs · about 10,700 openings a year (127,400 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
ONET 31.0
Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), ONET Work Context, data 08/2021, n = 23 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 3 in 5 work more than 40 hours a week (59%).

Schedule: regular 30% · irregular 70% · seasonal 0%

Physical load 3.8 of 5, our index from ONET
Method
Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (3.1, 6 measures) and an exposure index (4.59, 7 measures), built from ONET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
O*NET OnLine

Body

Standing4.19
Bending or twisting3.4
Keeping balance3.17
Climbing ladders3.1
Walking or running2.45
Kneeling or crawling2.3

Exposure

Outdoors, all weather5
Hazardous conditions4.93
High places4.82
Hazardous equipment4.75
Protective gear4.69
Very hot or cold4.32
Cramped space3.62

Body 3.1 · exposure 4.59. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License: Texas: TDLR Journeyman Lineman license (7,000 apprenticeship hours), unless the work is on equipment controlled by an electric utility, co-op or power generation company (Occ. Code 1305.003(a)(5)). Heavy-vehicle drivers usually need a CDL.
Degree: 3% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience: None of related experience is the most common answer (39% of workers).
O*NET
O*NET Related Work Experience, Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, O*NET OnLine
Preparation: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Why this level: Skilled: TDLR Journeyman Lineman license tier: 7,000 hours in a U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship or 3.5 years as a journeyman lineman; career changers start as groundman or apprentice lineman, not at this rung. Texas: Journeyman Lineman (TDLR) (7,000 hours of training in a U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship, or 3.5 years as a journeyman lineman for an electric utility, electric cooperative, municipally owned utility or electrical contractor in Texas). Rung 1 of 3 on 'Utility line work'.

Next stop E1 Line Crew Supervisor +$2.00/h Beaumont / Southeast Texas union minimum (IBEW 2286)

Gates: Most people in the target job have over 2 years, up to and including 4 years of related work experience (O*NET: 41%).

Moves to the side 6

B1 Journeyman Electrician O*NET lists Electricians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83. License gate: Journeyman Electrician (TDLR).
B1 Electrical Apprentice O*NET lists Helpers--Electricians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.80. License gate: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR).
E2 Substation Technician O*NET lists Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.79. License: depends on the work.
L Fiber Optic Technician O*NET lists Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.74. License: depends on the work.

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What the work is 6 core tasks

Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.

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.
Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

Active Listening
Troubleshooting
Monitoring
Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring
Complex Problem Solving
Coordination
Critical Thinking

Sources (5)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000049905113, read 2026-10-03
Union scale (contract minimum): IBEW LU 2286 / Southwestern Line Constructors Utility Outside Line Construction Agreement 9-4-23 to 8-29-27 (p. 8), read 2026-10-03
Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 49-9051.00 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, read 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

Lineworker (Power Line)