How much do power-line workers make in Georgia in 2026?

The median power-line worker in Georgia earns $80,080 a year, which works out to roughly $38.50 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's a solid middle-of-the-road number, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Pay in this trade stretches from $61,140 at the 25th percentile (~$29.39/hr) up to $100,770 at the 75th percentile (~$48.45/hr). Where you land on that range depends on experience, employer, the type of lines you work, and where in Georgia the job is.

Entry-level and apprentice lineworkers generally fall at or below the 25th percentile. At $61,140 annually, you're still clearing nearly $29.40 an hour — better than a lot of trades at the bottom rung — but the real money comes after you've got years of climb time and have moved up to journeyman status. Workers in the middle of their careers cluster around the median. Those who reach the 75th percentile — earning over $100,770 a year, or about $48.45/hr — typically have a decade or more of experience, hold additional certifications, or work in high-demand positions such as transmission-line work, substation maintenance, or specialized underground cable work.

Georgia's geography creates real pay variation. Metro Atlanta pulls in major utility spending and has a concentrated base of construction and maintenance contractors, which means more consistent work and more opportunities for overtime. Rural co-ops and smaller municipal utilities outside the metro area often pay closer to or below the median, though some offer other benefits like stable schedules and lower cost of living. The southeast coastal counties also see periodic spikes in demand after storm events, which translates directly to overtime dollars for crews brought in to restore service.

Overtime is a major earnings driver in this trade. Power-line work doesn't pause for weekends, and storms don't schedule themselves. Many full-time lineworkers add $5,000 to $20,000 or more on top of their base wages in a heavy storm year through emergency restoration work. The BLS figures here capture base wages and are drawn from employer surveys — they do not fully reflect overtime, per diem payments, or travel pay that are common in this trade. Your actual take-home in an active storm season can run well above what these percentiles suggest.

Licensing and credentials matter. Georgia doesn't require a single statewide license for journeyman lineworkers the way some states do for electricians, but employers — particularly utilities and large EPC contractors — look hard at your apprenticeship completion record, OSHA 10/30 certifications, CDL status, and any manufacturer-specific equipment training. Lineworkers who are current on aerial lift and equipment certifications, or who have completed a formal apprenticeship program, are the ones landing the higher-end positions and moving toward that 75th percentile band.

Some power-line workers in Georgia are employed under collective bargaining agreements. If that applies to your situation, your wage rate, overtime rules, and progression steps are set by your specific agreement — not by these BLS averages. Check your agreement directly for the numbers that actually govern your pay.

The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile here is $39,630 per year. That's not a small number. It represents roughly $19 more per hour for someone at the top of the distribution versus someone just starting out. Closing that gap comes down to accumulating verified experience, taking on more complex work (transmission vs. distribution, underground vs. overhead), staying current on safety certifications, and being willing to move within the state or travel for large construction and storm-restoration projects.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. BLS collects data from employer payroll records and represents straight-time wages. It does not include overtime premiums, bonuses, per diem, or benefits. Use these numbers as a benchmark, not a ceiling.