Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Paying close attention to accuracy, quality, instructions, and small but important details.
Identifying problems, considering possible solutions, and choosing appropriate actions.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become an Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer Most electrical power-line installers and repairers have a high school diploma and receive long-term on-the-job
Education
Electrical line installers and repairers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have basic knowledge of algebra and trigonometry. In addition, technical knowledge of electricity or electronics obtained through military service, vocational programs, or community colleges may be helpful. Some community colleges offer programs for electrical power-line installers and repairers that lead to a 1-year certificate or 2-year associate’s degree. These programs cover topics such as electrical distribution, line construction, and pole top and bucket rescue. The programs also may include an internship or hands-on fieldwork. Training 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. Qualifications to enter an apprenticeship program may include a high school diploma or equivalent, 1 year of high school algebra or the college-level equivalent, a qualifying score on an aptitude test, and passing a substance abuse screening. Apprentices also may have to meet physical requirements, including passing a fitness test.
Training
. To enter the occupation, electrical power-line installers and repairers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. To become proficient, they typically need technical instruction and on-the-job training. Apprenticeships are common.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
Although not mandatory, certification is available for electrical power-line installers and repairers. Information on certifications is available from CareerOneStop. Workers who drive heavy vehicles usually need a state-issued commercial driver’s license (CDL). Workers who drive crews that cross state lines need an interstate CDL, which may have additional requirements regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Other requirements, such as medical or other certifications and minimum age, vary by state. Check with your state for more details. Information on state licensing board requirements is available from CareerOneStop. Advancement After 3 or 4 years of working, qualified electrical power-line apprentices reach the journey level. A journey-level worker is no longer considered an apprentice and can perform most tasks without supervision. Experienced electrical power-line installers and repairers may become supervisors or trainers.
Your Next Step
Review training, certifications, apprenticeships, or employer-based preparation that may support entry into this career.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of electrical power-line installers and repairers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 10,900 openings for electrical power-line installers and repairers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment Employment of electrical power-line installers and repairers is expected to grow, largely due to increasing electricity demand and related electrical grid needs. With each new housing development or business complex, new electric power lines are installed and will require maintenance. In addition, the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and the data centers needed to support this growth are expected to contribute to rising electricity demand. The national power grid will need to be upgraded, and new infrastructure is expected to be added to meet this rising demand and improve power grid capacity and reliability. This is projected to create job opportunities for electrical power-line installers and repairers to install and repair this infrastructure. Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Electrical power-line installers and repairers 10% Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 7% Total, all occupations 3% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Do
Electrical power-line installers and repairers install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. They also may erect poles or transmission towers.
Duties
Electrical power-line installers and repairers typically do the following:
- Install, maintain, or repair the power lines that move electricity
- String electrical cable and wires between poles, towers, and buildings
- Identify defective devices, voltage regulators, transformers, and switches
- Inspect and test electrical power lines and auxiliary equipment
- Climb poles and transmission towers and use truck-mounted buckets to reach equipment
- Operate power equipment when installing and repairing poles, towers, and lines
Electrical power-line installers and repairers install and maintain the power grid: the network of cables and wires that moves electricity from generating plants to consumers. They routinely work with high-voltage electricity, which requires extreme caution.
Electrical power-line installers and repairers who maintain the interstate power grid work on crews that travel throughout a region to service transmission lines and towers. Those who are employed by local utilities maintain equipment such as transformers, voltage regulators, and switches. They also may work on traffic lights and street lights.
Workers generally start a new project by digging underground trenches or erecting utility poles and towers to carry the wires and cables. They use a variety of construction equipment, including trucks equipped with augers and cranes to dig holes and set poles in place.
To identify maintenance needs, electrical power-line installers and repairers check for outage reports from remote monitoring, aerial inspections, and customers.
To fix an electrical power-line problem, workers must first identify the cause through diagnostic testing with specialized equipment. To work on poles, electrical power-line installers usually use bucket trucks to raise themselves to the top of the structure. They sometimes need to climb poles and towers, using special safety equipment to keep from falling.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Electrical power-line installers and repairers held about 131,900 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of electrical power-line installers and repairers were as follows:
| Utilities | 50% |
| Utility system construction | 29 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 10 |
| Specialty trade contractors | 6 |
| Federal government | 2 |
The work of electrical power-line installers and repairers can be physically demanding. They must be comfortable working at great heights and in confined spaces. They must be able to climb utility poles and transmission towers, as well as to balance while working on them.
Electrical power-line installers and repairers work outdoors in all types of weather, such as rain or wind when storms and other natural disasters damage power lines, to restore electricity. They often drive utility vehicles, and those who are part of a crew working on interstate power grids may need to travel long distances.
Injuries and Illnesses
Electrical power-line installers and repairers encounter serious hazards in their jobs and must follow safety procedures to minimize danger.
These workers may be electrocuted if they come in contact with a live cable on a high-voltage power line. When workers engage live wires, they use electrically insulated protective devices and tools to minimize their risk.
To prevent injuries when working on poles or towers, electrical power-line installers and repairers use fall-protection equipment. Safety procedures and training have reduced the danger for electrical power-line installers and repairers.
Work Schedules
Most electrical power-line installers and repairers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. In emergencies or after storms and other natural disasters, they may have to travel to impacted areas and work long hours for several days in a row.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Ability to work at heights. Electrical power-line installers and repairers must be comfortable working at great heights. They may work from ladders or bucket lifts and climb utility poles. Color vision. Workers who handle electrical wires and cables must be able to distinguish colors because the wires and cables are often color coded. Interpersonal skills. Because these workers rely on their fellow crew members for safety, they must be able to collaborate as part of a team. Physical stamina. Electrical power-line installers and repairers often must climb poles with heavy tools and equipment. Physical strength. Electrical power-line installers and repairers must be able to lift heavy tools, cables, and equipment on the job. Problem-solving skills. Electrical power-line installers and repairers must diagnose problems in electrical systems and lines and be able to repair or replace faulty equipment. Technical skills. Electrical power-line installers use diagnostic equipment on circuit breakers, switches, and transformers. They must be familiar with electrical systems and the appropriate tools needed to fix and maintain them.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about electrical power-line installers and repairers by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.