Electrical Lineworker major
Electrical Lineworker: courses, careers, and where to study
Electrical Lineworker programs train you to build and maintain the overhead and underground power lines, poles, transformers, and high-voltage systems that carry electricity across the grid.
An Electrical Lineworker program prepares you to construct, energize, and repair the power delivery network that runs between generating plants and customer meters. Students learn to climb wood and steel structures with gaffs, belts, and fall-arrest gear, set poles, frame crossarms, and string and sag overhead conductors, as well as install underground cable in trenches and vaults. Coursework covers transformer connections, voltage regulators, reclosers, and metering, along with rubber-glove and hot-stick methods for working energized lines, proper grounding, and the cover-up practices behind safe high-voltage work. You also operate digger derricks and bucket trucks and read distribution maps and one-line diagrams. Unlike an Electrician, who wires panels and devices inside buildings to the National Electrical Code, this trade works outdoors on the transmission and distribution system at far higher voltages.
Most lineworkers enter through a registered apprenticeship or a pre-apprenticeship certificate, then advance from apprentice to journeyman lineman as they log hours and pass step exams. Programs often align with safety standards such as OSHA rules and the National Electrical Safety Code, and many graduates hold first-aid, CPR, pole-top and bucket rescue, and a commercial driver's license; verify which credentials an employer or local utility expects. Crews work for utilities, electrical cooperatives, and contractors, frequently outdoors, at height, and on storm-restoration call after outages. Where Electrical Engineering Technology centers on bench testing of electronic systems and HVAC Technology on heating and cooling equipment, this path is field line work. Pay, schedules, and demand vary by region, utility, and experience, and a program is preparation, not a guarantee of placement.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of electrical power-line installers and repairers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $92,560 and projects employment to grow about 6.6% from 2024 to 2034; a high school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Electrical Lineworker maps to CIP 46.0303, Lineworker, within the CONSTRUCTION TRADES family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to install, operate, maintain and repair local, long-distance, and rural electric power cables and communication lines; erect and construct pole and tower lines; and install underground lines and cables. Includes instruction in cable installation and repair, fibre-optic technology, trenching, mobile equipment and crane operation, high-voltage installations, maintenance and inspection, safety, remote communications, and applicable codes and standards.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Electrical Lineworker is awarded as
Of the 2,530 Electrical Lineworker credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate83%2,089
- Associate17%441
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Pole climbing with gaffs, body belts, and fall-arrest systems, plus pole-top and bucket truck rescue
- Setting poles and framing crossarms, insulators, and guy assemblies on overhead distribution lines
- Stringing, sagging, and tensioning overhead conductors and installing underground cable, vaults, and risers
- Rubber-glove and hot-stick methods, cover-up, and protective grounding for energized line work
- Connecting and maintaining transformers, voltage regulators, reclosers, capacitor banks, and metering
- Operating digger derricks, bucket trucks, and aerial lifts for line construction and maintenance
- Applying the National Electrical Safety Code and OSHA practices, switching, tagging, and clearance procedures
- Reading distribution circuit maps, one-line diagrams, and staking sheets to lay out line construction
- Troubleshooting outages, fault location, and storm-restoration work on de-energized and live circuits
Typical careers
- Electrical power-line installer and repairer (lineworker)
- Apprentice lineman
- Journeyman lineman
- Substation technician
- Underground cable splicer
- Troubleman / service restoration lineworker
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 electrical power-line installers and repairers median $92,560).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Electrical Lineworker, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $78,300 | 52,400 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $92,560 | 10,700 | +6.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 2 of these 2 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Electrical Lineworker does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Electrical Lineworker major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Electrical Lineworker program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Electrical Lineworker department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Electrical Lineworker program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Electrical Lineworker credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Texas State Technical CollegeTX · 421
- Trinidad State CollegeCO · 117
- Alpena Community CollegeMI · 99
- Nash Community CollegeNC · 96
- Mitchell Technical CollegeSD · 94
- Ivy Tech Community CollegeIN · 92
- Minnesota State Community and Technical CollegeMN · 82
- North Georgia Technical CollegeGA · 74
- Oklahoma State University Institute of TechnologyOK · 71
- Northwest Iowa Community CollegeIA · 67
- Horry-Georgetown Technical CollegeSC · 65
- Northeast Wisconsin Technical CollegeWI · 62
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Electrical Lineworker credentials were awarded
2 states have a distinct enough set of Electrical Lineworker colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Electrical Lineworker schools by state
- Electrical Lineworker in California
- Electrical Lineworker in Florida
- Electrical Lineworker in Georgia
- Electrical Lineworker in Illinois
- Electrical Lineworker in Maryland
- Electrical Lineworker in Massachusetts
- Electrical Lineworker in New York
- Electrical Lineworker in North Carolina
- Electrical Lineworker in Pennsylvania
- Electrical Lineworker in Texas
Related majors
Electrician
Electrician programs train you to install, maintain, and repair the wiring, controls, and power systems in homes, businesses, and industrial sites, working safely to electrical code.
Electrical Engineering Technology
Electrical Engineering Technology is a hands-on, applied major in building, testing, and maintaining electrical and electronic systems for students who prefer real hardware over heavy theory.
HVAC Technology
HVAC Technology trains you to install, service, and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems, blending applied mechanics, electrical work, and hands-on diagnostics.
Heavy Equipment Operation
Heavy Equipment Operation trains you to run and maintain earthmoving machines like dozers, excavators, motor graders, and scrapers to dig, grade, and shape construction sites.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering applies physics and math to circuits, power, and electronics, suiting students who want to design the hardware and systems behind modern technology.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Electrical Lineworker degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Installation & Repair careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Electrical Lineworker degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Electrical Lineworker path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.