Line Installer or Repairer

Line installers and repairers, also known as line workers, install or repair electrical power systems and telecommunications cables, including fiber optics.

Electrical power-line installers and repairers typically do the following:

• Install, maintain, or repair the power lines that move electricity
• Identify defective devices, voltage regulators, transformers, and switches
• Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment
• String power lines between poles, towers, and buildings
• Climb poles and transmission towers and use truck-mounted buckets to get to equipment
• Operate power equipment when installing and repairing poles, towers, and lines
• Drive work vehicles to job sites
• Follow safety standards and procedures

Telecommunications line installers and repairers typically do the following:

• Install, maintain, or repair telecommunications equipment
• Inspect or test lines or cables
• Lay underground cable, including fiber optic lines, directly in trenches
• Pull cables in underground conduit
• Install aerial cables, including over lakes or across rivers
• Operate power equipment when installing and repairing poles, towers, and lines
• Drive work vehicles to job sites
• Set up service for customers

Electrical power-line installers and repairers held about 126,600 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of electrical power-line installers and repairers were as follows:

Electric power generation, transmission and distribution	47%
Power and communication line and related structures construction	31
Local government, excluding education and hospitals	11
Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors	4

Telecommunications line installers and repairers held about 103,800 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of telecommunications line installers and repairers were as follows:

Telecommunications	59%
Utility system construction	15
Building equipment contractors	14
Self-employed workers	1

The work of line installers and repairers can be physically demanding. Line installers must be comfortable working at great heights and in confined spaces. Despite the help of bucket trucks, all line workers must be able to climb utility poles and transmission towers and balance while working on them.

Their work often requires that they drive utility vehicles, travel long distances, and work outdoors.

Line installers and repairers often must work under challenging weather conditions, such as in snow, wind, rain, and extreme heat and cold, in order to keep electricity and telecommunications flowing.

Injuries and Illnesses

Line workers encounter serious hazards on their jobs and must follow safety procedures to minimize danger. For example, workers must wear safety equipment when entering underground manholes and test for the presence of gas before going underground.

Electrical power-line installers and repairers can 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, line installers and repairers use fall-protection equipment when working on poles or towers. Safety procedures and training have significantly reduced the danger for line workers. However, telecommunications line installers and repairers still have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations.   

Work Schedules

Although most work full time during regular business hours, some line installers and repairers must work evenings and weekends. In emergencies or after storms and other natural disasters, workers may have to work long hours for several days in a row.

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for entry-level positions, but most line installers and repairers need technical instruction and long-term on-the-job training to become proficient. Apprenticeships are also common.

Education

Most companies require line installers and repairers to have a high school diploma or equivalent. Employers prefer candidates with basic knowledge of algebra and trigonometry. In addition, technical knowledge of electricity or electronics obtained through military service, vocational programs, or community colleges can also be helpful.

Many community colleges offer programs in telecommunications, electronics, or electricity. Some programs work with local companies to offer 1-year certificates that emphasize hands-on fieldwork.

More advanced 2-year associate’s degree programs provide students with a broad knowledge of the technology used in telecommunications and electrical utilities. These programs offer courses in electricity, electronics, fiber optics, and microwave transmission.

Training

Electrical line installers and repairers often must complete apprenticeships or other employer training programs. These programs, which can 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. For example, the Electrical Training Alliance offers apprenticeship programs in four specialty areas. The basic qualifications to enter an apprenticeship program are as follows:

• Minimum age of 18
• High school education or equivalent
• One year of algebra
• Qualifying score on an aptitude test
• Pass substance abuse screening

Line installers and repairers who work for telecommunications companies typically receive several years of on-the-job training. They also may be encouraged to attend training from equipment manufacturers, schools, unions, or industry training organizations.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Although not mandatory, certification for line installers and repairers is also available from several associations. For example, BICSI offers certification for line installers and repairers, and the Electrical Training ALLIANCE offers certification for line installers and repairers in several specialty areas.

In addition, The Fiber Optic Association (FOA) offers two levels of fiber optic certification for telecommunications line installers and repairers.

Workers who drive heavy company vehicles usually need a commercial driver’s license.

Advancement

Entry-level line workers generally begin with an apprenticeship, which includes both classroom training and hands-on work experience. As they learn additional skills from more experienced workers, they may advance to more complex tasks. In time, experienced line workers advance to more sophisticated maintenance and repair positions in which they are responsible for increasingly large portions of the network.

After 3 to 4 years of working, qualified line workers reach the journey level. A journey-level line worker is no longer considered an apprentice and can perform most tasks without supervision. Journey-level line workers also may qualify for positions at other companies. Workers with many years of experience may become first-line supervisors or trainers.

Line installers and repairers typically have an interest in the Building Persuading interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people.

If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Persuading interest which might fit with a career as a line installer and repairer, you can take a career test to measure your interests.

Line installers and repairers should also possess the following specific qualities:

Color vision. Workers who handle electrical wires and cables must be able to distinguish colors because the wires and cables are often color coded.

Mechanical skills. Line installers and repairers must have the knowledge and skills to repair or replace complex electrical and telecommunications lines and equipment. 

Physical stamina. Line installers and repairers often must climb poles and work at great heights with heavy tools and equipment. Therefore, installers and repairers should be able to work for long periods without tiring easily.

Physical strength. Line installers and repairers must be strong enough to lift heavy tools, cables, and equipment on a regular basis.

Teamwork. Because workers often rely on their fellow crew members for their safety, teamwork is critical.

Technical skills. Line installers use sophisticated 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.

Troubleshooting skills. Line installers and repairers must be able to diagnose problems in increasingly complex electrical systems and telecommunication lines.

The median annual wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers was $78,310 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $46,200, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $107,110.

The median annual wage for telecommunications line installers and repairers was $60,190 in May 2021. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,140, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $98,320.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for electrical power-line installers and repairers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Electric power generation, transmission and distribution	$90,960
Local government, excluding education and hospitals	76,090
Power and communication line and related structures construction	62,420
Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors	60,820

In May 2021, the median annual wages for telecommunications line installers and repairers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Telecommunications	$65,030
Building equipment contractors	48,570
Utility system construction	47,070

Although most work full time during regular business hours, some line installers and repairers may work evenings and weekends. In emergencies or after storms and other natural disasters, they may have to work long hours for several days in a row.

Overall employment of line installers and repairers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 23,500 openings for 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

Projected employment of line installers and repairers varies by occupation (see table).

Employment of electrical power-line installers and repairers is expected to grow, largely due to increasing electrical grid needs. With each new housing development or business complex, new electric power lines are installed and will require maintenance. In addition, the interstate power grid will continue to become more complex to ensure reliability.

Employment of telecommunications line installers and repairers is expected to grow as telecommunications providers construct new broadband infrastructure where it did not exist previously and as existing wired telecommunications equipment is upgraded to fiber optic cable with improved capabilities.

For information about apprenticeships or job opportunities for line installers and repairers, contact local electrical contractors, a local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a local joint union-management apprenticeship committee, or the nearest office of your state employment service or apprenticeship agency. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s toll-free help line, 1 (877) 872-5627 or the Employment and Training Administration.

For more information about line installers and repairers, visit

American Public Power Association

Center for Energy Workforce Development

Telecommunications Industry Association

For information about certification, visit

BICSI

The Fiber Optic Association

Electrical Training ALLIANCE

 

 

Where does this information come from?

The career information above is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. This excellent resource for occupational data is published by the U.S. Department of Labor every two years. Truity periodically updates our site with information from the BLS database.

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