Also called: Lineman, Power-Line Installer and Repairer
Builds and repairs the power lines that bring electricity to every home and business.
You climb poles or ride a bucket truck to replace a transformer, string new lines, and work through the night after a storm to restore power. Storm duty can mean huge overtime.
Apprenticeship, about 4 years after high school. Pre-apprentice lineworker school, then a 3-4 year apprenticeship.
Ways in: Apprenticeship, Trade school. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Electrical Lineworker (trade school).
Growing faster than average (about 7% over 10 years). Line work is in high demand as utilities rebuild aging grids and add power for data centers.
Low risk for 10 years. Drones and smart sensors find faults faster; climbing poles, rigging and repairing live lines in storms stays human.
Classes: Physics, Electrical CTE class, Weight training, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9051.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.