Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

Median salary

$95,320

Average salary

$91,970

Employment

131,070

Projected growth

6.6% growth

Annual openings

10,700

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Do

Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 1.4%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Building and Constructionimportance 3.6/5
English Languageimportance 3.4/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.3/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.3/5
Transportationimportance 3.3/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.3/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.1/5
Designimportance 3.0/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions4.9/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.9/5
Health and Safety of Other Workers4.9/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Commercial Divers94% skill match
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators93% skill match
Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment93% skill match
Riggers92% skill match
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers92% skill match
Continuous Mining Machine Operators92% skill match
Avionics Technicians92% skill match
Sheet Metal Workers91% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Troubleshootingimportance 3.4/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.3/5
Operation and Controlimportance 3.3/5
Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Repairingimportance 3.1/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Cautiousness
Dependability
Attention to Detail
Stress Tolerance
Perseverance
Integrity
Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where electrical power-line installers and repairers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).