How To Become An Electric Lineman: What It Is and Career Path

What is an electric lineman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an electric lineman. For example, did you know that they make an average of $33.79 an hour? That's $70,285 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 50,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreElectric LinemanUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,285

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85%

Asian 2.20%

Black or African American 7.92%

Hispanic or Latino 20.70%

Unknown 4.24%

White 64.10%

Gender

female 3.66%

male 96.34%

Age - 41

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 - 41

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an electric lineman

Explore electric lineman education requirements

Most common electric lineman degrees

Associate

28.8 %

High School Diploma

25.8 %

Bachelor's

24.2 %

Start to develop specific electric lineman skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	30.88%
Hand Tools	14.97%
Transformers	14.56%
Troubleshoot	10.45%
Switches	9.15%

Complete relevant electric lineman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New electric 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 an electric lineman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real electric lineman resumes.

Research electric lineman duties and responsibilities

Operate bucket trucks, augers, derricks, dozers, backhoes and bobcats.
Open switches and attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturb or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
Live line work, grounding procedures and clearances/hold orders, and PPE.
Certify in CPR and in foiliage management.receive many safety awards for no accidents.

Prepare your electric lineman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your electric 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 an electric 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 electric lineman resume templates

Build a professional electric 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 electric lineman resume.

Apply for electric lineman jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an electric 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 electric linemen rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Electric 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.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022