How to Become a Lineman

Linemen (also lineworkers or power-line installers and repairers) install and repair the cables and equipment of the electric grid. They work on transmission lines, distribution lines and underground cable. The work is at height, outdoors, often near energized conductors. BLS notes that workers may travel after storms and work long hours for several days in a row.

1. 1

   Meet the entry requirements

   Finish high school or a GED and one year of algebra. Apprenticeship programs also use an aptitude test, a substance abuse screening, and a physical or fitness test (BLS). Cal-Nev and SWLCAT both set a minimum age of 18.

2. 2

   Get a Class A CDL

   Line crews drive heavy trucks. Cal-Nev Power Lineman JATC requires a valid unrestricted CDL to apply. Southwestern Line Constructors (SWLCAT) requires proof of a valid Class A CDL before an interview. A permit does not count.

3. 3

   Build field experience or attend a line school

   This step is optional but helps. Cal-Nev gives priority interviews for 1,750 hours of groundman-type work, an ETA-approved line school or training program of at least 400 hours, or an honorable discharge (DD-214). Community colleges also offer 1-year certificates and 2-year degrees in line work (BLS).

4. 4

   Apply to an apprenticeship

   Apply to a utility apprenticeship or a joint apprenticeship and training committee (JATC) during its open window. At Cal-Nev the path is: online application, aptitude test, committee interview, ranked eligibility list, indenture offer when a contractor needs an apprentice, then a climbing class.

5. 5

   Complete 7,000 hours of on-the-job training

   Work full time under journeymen and attend related classroom training. The California outside line agreement requires at least 7,000 OJT hours and 144 classroom hours per year. Pay rises each period, from 60% to 90% of the journeyman rate.

6. 6

   Top out as a journeyman lineman

   Complete the hours and the classroom training, and the JATC certifies you as a journeyman lineman. BLS puts the time to journey level at about 3 to 4 years.

Most outside line apprenticeships run 7,000 hours of paid on-the-job training plus classroom work:

You work on energized lines only later in the program. The Oregon standard allows hot work above 750 volts from the 5th period of a 7,000-hour program, after a hot stick class.

Experience is not a requirement to apply. Cal-Nev Power Lineman JATC states that you are not required to have any previous experience. Experience gets you an interview sooner. Three ways to build it:

• Work as a groundman for a line contractor or utility. Cal-Nev counts 1,750 documented hours toward a priority interview.
• Complete a line school or training program of at least 400 hours that the JATC accepts.
• Take a community college certificate in electrical distribution or line construction (BLS).

Our lineman listings include groundman roles when employers post them.

Texas employs more power-line installers than any other state: 17,280 in May 2025, at a median wage of $78,940 (BLS OEWS). The union outside line apprenticeship for Texas is the Southwestern Line Constructors JATC (SWLCAT). It also covers Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas.

• Age 18 or older and a Class A CDL. A permit or temporary license does not qualify for an interview.
• A Medical Examiner's Certificate, work history and a $30 application fee per area.
• Pass the ETA aptitude test before the interview.
• 7,000 hours of on-the-job training plus three years of related instruction. In Texas, the program is offered in Beaumont and Houston.

BLS reports a median of $95,320 for electrical power-line installers in May 2025. Apprentices earn a rising share of the journeyman rate. See the full lineman salary guide for percentiles, state pay and union rates.