Lineman Jobs FAQ: Careers, Training, and Hiring

Most people follow these steps:

1. Meet the basics. Most programs ask for a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver's license, and the ability to pass a drug test and a physical. Many also want a Class A CDL or expect you to get one early.
2. Get your foot in the door. Many people start as a groundman. Others finish a pre-apprentice lineworker or climbing school first. These schools are not required, but they teach climbing, rigging, and safety, and they can help your application.
3. Get into an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are run by unions (often through IBEW and contractor joint programs), by utilities, and by non-union contractor groups. You earn a paycheck while you train.
4. Finish the apprenticeship. When you complete your hours, classes, and tests, you "top out" as a journeyman lineman.

Most lineman jobs do not require a state license. Your journeyman status comes from finishing a registered apprenticeship or from documented experience, depending on the employer.

Most lineman apprenticeships take about 3 to 4 years. Many registered programs require around 7,000 hours of on-the-job training plus classroom or online lessons each year.

Apprentices move through steps. Pay usually goes up at each step as a percentage of the journeyman rate. Program length and pay steps are set by each program, so check the details before you apply.

A groundman supports the line crew from the ground. The job includes loading and staging material, rigging, digging, running equipment like digger derricks, flagging traffic, and keeping the job site clean and safe. Groundmen usually do not work on energized lines.

An apprentice lineman is in a formal training program. Apprentices learn to climb poles, work from buckets, and work on lines under a journeyman's supervision. They take classes and get pay raises as they move through the program.

Groundman work is a common way to get into the trade. It shows employers you can handle the work and often leads to an apprenticeship spot.

Most employers require or strongly prefer a Class A CDL. Line crews drive bucket trucks and digger derricks and often pull equipment trailers, so being able to drive them legally makes you more useful on day one.

Some employers will hire you without a CDL and give you a set amount of time to get one. Some apprenticeship programs require it before you start. Each job listing on this site should say what the employer needs.

Storm work, or storm restoration, is when line crews travel to areas hit by hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes, or wildfires to get the power back on. Utilities often call in extra crews from contractors and from other utilities to help.

Storm work usually means long shifts, many days in a row, and time away from home. It often pays well because of overtime, and many jobs cover lodging and meals or pay a per diem. Details depend on the employer and the storm, so ask before you go.

Distribution linemen work on the lines that carry power through towns and neighborhoods to homes and businesses. The work includes poles, transformers, service drops, and underground lines.

Transmission linemen work on high-voltage lines that carry power long distances, usually on tall steel towers or large structures. Transmission jobs often involve more travel and bigger equipment.

Many linemen start in distribution and some move to transmission later. Some also work in substations.

Lineman pay varies a lot. The biggest factors are:

• Your level: groundman, apprentice, or journeyman.
• Region: pay is higher in some states and cities than others.
• Union or non-union: union rates are set by contract and differ by local.
• Overtime and storm work: these can add a large amount to yearly earnings.

To see current numbers, look at the pay listed on job postings on this site and at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics page for electrical power-line installers and repairers.

Click Post a Job, pick a package, and fill out the form. You will add your company name, job title, location, job type, pay, and a job description. You can also add a link to your own application page.

After payment, Gold and Platinum jobs go live right away. Silver jobs go live within 24 hours. Current prices and what each package includes are on the pricing page.

Every package includes a set number of featured days. While your job is featured, it shows at the top of job search results and in the Featured Jobs section on the homepage. After the featured days end, your job stays live as a regular listing until it expires.

Higher packages include more featured days, and Gold and Platinum also include newsletter inclusion. The pricing page lists the featured days for each package.

It depends on the package you choose. Each package has a set listing length, shown on the pricing page. If you need more time, you can buy an extension from your employer dashboard.

You have two options when you post:

• Use your own application link. Add your careers page or application URL, and candidates are sent there to apply.
• Apply on this site. If you leave the link blank, candidates apply here. Each application is emailed to the contact email on your job and saved in your employer dashboard, where you can review applicants.

Every job page on this site includes JobPosting structured data, which is the format Google uses for its job search feature. That makes your listing eligible to appear in Google job search. Google decides what it shows and when, so no job board can promise placement.