Executive Summary

About 123,680 electrical power-line installers and repairers work nationally, and $92,560 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 23% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.4% annual growth.

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers: what the data shows

Common questions about electrical power-line installers and repairers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a electrical power-line installers and repairers?

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-9051.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 123,680 workers.

What does a electrical power-line installers and repairers do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a electrical power-line installers and repairers make?

BLS national median annual wage: $92,560 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $119,035 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$69,515
25th percentile$87,384
Median (50th)$125,823
75th percentile$152,555
90th percentile$165,197

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Troubleshooting, Active Listening, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, English Language, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is electrical power-line installers and repairers in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 18.4%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 40.1%.

Current U.S. headcount: 123,680.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do electrical power-line installers and repairerss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry123,68018.2%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only108,97016.0%
Utilities60,6208.9%
Utilities60,6208.9%
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution57,7908.5%
Construction45,8606.7%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Electrical and Electronics Repairers59,990$71,300
Electricians742,580$62,350
Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment7,310$82,730
Helpers--Electricians64,440$39,890
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay23,040$100,940
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers16,570$53,990
Office Clerks, General2,510,550$43,630

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers workforce.

Employment Over Time

123,680 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers grew from 24,300 in 2009 to 41,680 in 2025 (71.5%).

Historical employment for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$92,560 Median pay (BLS national)

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers earn $92,560 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Salary distribution for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Employment Growth Projections

3.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

49,334 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 18.4%

58,395 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 40.1%

This occupation is projected to grow at 3.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Wage Trends by Industry

5.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • TX: 14,130 employees, $76,920 avg wage
  • CA: 11,070 employees, $115,910 avg wage
  • FL: 7,390 employees, $84,850 avg wage
  • NY: 5,270 employees, $106,260 avg wage
  • NC: 4,930 employees, $76,150 avg wage
  • OH: 4,740 employees, $84,110 avg wage
  • GA: 4,040 employees, $81,730 avg wage
  • TN: 4,020 employees, $76,040 avg wage
  • PA: 3,910 employees, $95,380 avg wage
  • IL: 3,670 employees, $102,290 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,490 employees, $109,360 avg wage
  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 3,240 employees, $81,490 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 3,100 employees, $76,460 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,840 employees, $117,020 avg wage
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2,140 employees, $106,930 avg wage
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 2,140 employees, $86,340 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 1,820 employees, $112,090 avg wage
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,640 employees, $87,190 avg wage
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,560 employees, $88,440 avg wage
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,420 employees, $108,150 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Diversity

Demographic information on Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers is about 123,680 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers in 2023 were Electrical Technology, Technical Training, Engineering.

Common majors for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers workers.

Education level distribution for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Skills

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers need many skills, but most especially Troubleshooting, Active Listening, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring.

Required skills for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers include Building and Construction, English Language, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, Transportation.

Knowledge areas required for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Multilimb Coordination, Control Precision.

Required abilities for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

Daily Activities

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes.

Most important work activities for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers.

About

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers earn $92,560 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

49-9051 - Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

Insights and Analysis

High earnings profile: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers reports an average salary of $119,035, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 123,680 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.