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Lineworker apprenticeships: what they pay, state by state
U.S. Department of Labor records list 13,846 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to electrical power-line installers and repairers (SOC 49-9051). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $20.00 an hour in New York and Connecticut to $34.60 in Washington and Oregon, across the 33 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts.
Apprentice counts and wages by state
The most are in Texas (1,288), Michigan (923), California (844), Florida (766), Missouri (727). Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $33.84 an hour in Florida and Tennessee to $57.96 in California, across the 20 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. A median is shown only where 50 or more apprentices carry the wage; the counts are shown for every state with an active apprentice in fiscal 2024.
| State | Active, fiscal 2024 | Started, fiscal 2023 | Median starting wage | Median completing wage | BLS median, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,288 | 790 | $27.03 | $39.69 | $37.95 |
| Michigan | 923 | 264 | $30.57 | $45.82 | $51.39 |
| California | 844 | 250 | $33.46 | $57.96 | $62.04 |
| Florida | 766 | 439 | $23.03 | $33.84 | $41.76 |
| Missouri | 727 | 293 | $30.87 | $36.09 | $46.33 |
| Illinois | 613 | 134 | $26.94 | $54.25 | $51.98 |
| Oklahoma | 558 | 325 | $28.00 | $40.00 | $36.54 |
| Indiana | 501 | 170 | $27.63 | $42.14 | $49.06 |
| Ohio | 487 | 169 | $25.81 | $41.52 | $44.78 |
| Colorado | 424 | 182 | $32.40 | $48.25 | $49.99 |
| New York | 390 | 85 | $20.00 | $40.23 | $58.31 |
| Tennessee | 388 | 184 | $22.00 | $33.84 | $40.22 |
| Kentucky | 383 | 176 | $26.45 | $41.73 | $37.03 |
| Iowa | 382 | 140 | $31.55 | $45.22 | $48.17 |
| South Carolina | 336 | 280 | $32.00 | $40.00 | $36.96 |
| Georgia | 331 | 145 | $22.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $38.50 |
| Virginia | 319 | 162 | $24.08 | fewer than 50 wages | $36.82 |
| Kansas | 301 | 116 | $28.25 | $41.40 | $48.86 |
| Washington | 287 | 101 | $34.60 | $51.89 | $63.97 |
| Pennsylvania | 280 | 64 | $24.00 | $40.23 | $51.07 |
| Arizona | 269 | 85 | $32.40 | $52.65 | $36.26 |
| Arkansas | 242 | 96 | $26.11 | fewer than 50 wages | $39.16 |
| Louisiana | 209 | 136 | $30.17 | $42.43 | $36.74 |
| Mississippi | 200 | 219 | $28.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $36.49 |
| West Virginia | 187 | 63 | $24.08 | fewer than 50 wages | $40.29 |
| Oregon | 184 | 62 | $34.60 | fewer than 50 wages | $63.02 |
| Idaho | 173 | 84 | $32.40 | fewer than 50 wages | $60.29 |
| Wisconsin | 153 | 46 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $50.88 |
| Montana | 149 | 56 | $32.17 | fewer than 50 wages | $53.04 |
| Utah | 137 | 38 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $48.66 |
| Connecticut | 125 | 78 | $20.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $60.99 |
| Minnesota | 122 | 50 | $30.52 | fewer than 50 wages | $50.09 |
| Alabama | 113 | 76 | $21.90 | fewer than 50 wages | $44.24 |
| North Carolina | 102 | 53 | $23.69 | fewer than 50 wages | $37.15 |
| Nevada | 100 | 26 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $46.42 |
| Vermont | 90 | 29 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $52.17 |
| Nebraska | 78 | 68 | $26.18 | fewer than 50 wages | $44.30 |
| Alaska | 77 | 20 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $44.46 |
| Massachusetts | 75 | 29 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $52.99 |
| New Jersey | 71 | 13 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $58.45 |
| Maryland | 70 | 32 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $51.01 |
| New Hampshire | 64 | 28 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $49.12 |
| Wyoming | 61 | 34 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $45.12 |
| North Dakota | 58 | 29 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $50.90 |
| New Mexico | 55 | 30 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $36.76 |
| Hawaii | 51 | 14 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $64.59 |
| Delaware | 40 | 22 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $46.72 |
| South Dakota | 31 | 19 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $46.79 |
| Maine | 28 | 11 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $39.95 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $48.67 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $50.30 |
Hourly wages, most active apprentices first. The starting wage is the median across the apprentices who started in fiscal 2023 and the completing wage the median across those who completed it: two groups of people. The BLS figure is the wage survey's median for the occupation in the state, a different source and a different period, so read the two side by side and not as a ratio. Which wages DOL counts and how the state is assigned are on the data page. As a file: every trade and state with an active apprentice (CSV).
What those wages come to a week and a year, at your hours →
How the apprenticeship runs
Lineworkers typically complete an apprenticeship or other employer-sponsored training program. The programs may last up to three years, combine on-the-job training with technical instruction, and are sometimes administered jointly by the employer and the union representing the workers. The federal Apprenticeship Finder searches apprenticeship openings by occupation and by city, state or ZIP code. Apprenticeship Finder →
BLS wording
“Electrical power-line installers and repairers typically complete apprenticeships or other employer-sponsored training programs. These programs, which may last up to 3 years, combine on-the-job training with technical instruction and are sometimes administered jointly by the employer and the union representing the workers.”
How long. Apprenticeships and other employer-sponsored programs may last up to three years; qualified apprentices reach journey level after three or four years of working.
BLS wording
“Electrical power-line installers and repairers typically complete apprenticeships or other employer-sponsored training programs. These programs, which may last up to 3 years, combine on-the-job training with technical instruction ... After 3 or 4 years of working, qualified electrical power-line apprentices reach the journey level.”
From the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, read 2026-09-23. The steps in order and pay by state are on How to become a lineworker.
Common questions
How much do apprentice lineworkers make?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $20.00 an hour in New York and Connecticut to $34.60 in Washington and Oregon, across the 33 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts. Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $33.84 an hour in Florida and Tennessee to $57.96 in California, across the 20 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. The starters and the completers are different people, and the wages are in that year's dollars.
How long does it take to train as a lineworker?
Apprenticeships and other employer-sponsored programs may last up to three years; qualified apprentices reach journey level after three or four years of working.
How many apprentice lineworkers are there?
U.S. Department of Labor records list 13,846 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to electrical power-line installers and repairers (SOC 49-9051). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. The most are in Texas (1,288), Michigan (923), California (844), Florida (766), Missouri (727).
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: Apprenticeship Participant Characteristics and Training Outcomes (the dataset), retrieved 2026-09-24: every apprentice count and apprentice wage. Titles counted for this trade: CABLE INSTALLER-REPARIER (Alternate Title: Cable Systems Installer/Maintainer); CABLE SPLICER; LINE ERECTOR (POWER-LINE DISTRIBUTION ERECTOR); LINE MAINTAINER (Alternate Title: High Voltage Electrician); LINE REPAIRER; TROUBLE SHOOTER II.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, retrieved 2026-10-03: the median for the occupation, $95,320 a year nationally. How the numbers are built.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, read 2026-09-23: how the apprenticeship runs and how long the training takes.
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