How To Become A Power Line Lineman: What It Is and Career Path

What is a power line lineman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The primary duty of a power lineman involves installing, maintaining, and repairing high-energy electrical lines and systems. This type of work can be a bit dangerous since it has a lot to do with confronting high-powered electrical systems. Therefore, you need to be very skilled to do this job.

You will work on distribution and transmission lines, especially those coming from the main power plant, and extend to individual structures. A person working as a power lineman is also sometimes called an electrical lineman or groundsman. Power Linemen work primarily for energy companies, utility companies, and telecommunications organizations.

How do you become a lineman? Linemen typically attend a state-registered apprenticeship consisting of approximately 7,000 hours of on-the-job training. This program lasts for 3- 4 years. However, the perfect lineman candidate has strong problem-solving, troubleshooting, and analytical skills. With $68,010 as the average annual pay for linemen, you might want to consider a career in this field if electricity interests you.

ScorePower Line LinemanUS Average

Salary

5.4

Avg. Salary $69,711

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.52%

Asian 1.21%

Black or African American 5.71%

Hispanic or Latino 13.41%

Unknown 3.07%

White 75.09%

Gender

female 2.54%

male 97.46%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress Level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.9

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.7

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a power line lineman

Explore power line lineman education requirements

Most common power line lineman degrees

High School Diploma

40.6 %

Associate

31.3 %

Bachelor's

18.8 %

Start to develop specific power line lineman skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	20.42%
CDL	18.07%
OSHA	15.77%
Electrical Distribution	10.98%
Distribution Systems	10.45%

Complete relevant power line lineman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New power line linemen learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a power line lineman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real power line lineman resumes.

Research power line lineman duties and responsibilities

Cut trenches for laying underground cables, using trenchers, cable plows and backhoes.
Set up cranes at work location and establish a control access zone to prevent injury to others on the job site.
Obtain multiple certifications for various machines.

Prepare your power line lineman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your power line lineman resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a power line lineman resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Power Line Lineman Resume templates

Build a professional Power Line Lineman resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Power Line Lineman resume.

Apply for power line lineman jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a power line lineman job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do power line linemen rate their job?

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Power Line Lineman reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2023

Pros

Love giving back to the community by keeping the lights on and a happy community

Cons

You could put yourself in danger if you're not careful.