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

The median annual wage for a power-line worker in Indiana is $102,040, which works out to roughly $49.06 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour year. That puts Indiana line workers well above most construction and extraction trades in the state. If you're just starting out or coming off an apprenticeship, expect to land closer to the 25th percentile at $73,060 a year, or about $35.13 an hour. Workers at the 75th percentile — typically experienced journeymen with several years in the field — earn $109,570 annually, around $52.68 an hour.

The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is $36,510 a year, and that spread is not random. It reflects real differences in years on the job, the type of work you're doing (distribution vs. transmission), whether you're working for a large investor-owned utility or a smaller rural electric cooperative, and how much overtime you accumulate. Power-line work is one of the few trades where consistent overtime can meaningfully push annual take-home above the stated wage figures, since storm response, planned outages, and grid maintenance often run on nights and weekends at premium pay rates.

Geography within Indiana matters. The Indianapolis metro and its surrounding suburbs tend to have more concentrated utility and contractor work, which can mean more consistent hours and access to larger job pipelines. Northwest Indiana, near Chicago's industrial corridor, also sees strong demand. Rural co-op territory in the southern and central parts of the state offers work too, but the volume of available positions and the employer mix differ from urban utility hubs. If you're willing to travel for storm restoration work — a common reality for line workers — your effective annual earnings can climb well beyond what a base wage figure suggests.

Entry-level line workers in Indiana typically come through a formal apprenticeship, often lasting four to five years, that combines on-the-job hours with classroom instruction covering electrical theory, equipment operation, and safety standards. Completing that program and becoming a journeyman lineman is the clearest path from the lower end of the pay range to the median and above. Certifications in specific equipment, high-voltage transmission work, or substation operations can also push pay toward or past the 75th percentile.

The BLS OEWS figures here represent base wages from employer-reported data collected in May 2025. They do not include overtime pay, per diem, tools allowances, or the value of benefits like health insurance and pension contributions — all of which can add significantly to total compensation in this trade. The figures also won't reflect what a specific employer is paying right now, since market conditions and hiring cycles change faster than annual surveys do.

Some power-line workers in Indiana are covered by collective bargaining agreements. If you're in a union shop, your wage scale, overtime rules, and benefit contributions are set by the agreement in place — check that document directly for your specific rates and working conditions.

Demand for line workers in Indiana, as in most states, is tied closely to grid maintenance, infrastructure upgrades, and renewable energy buildout. Utility employers here have been competing for experienced linemen, and that competition tends to keep wages near or above the national median for the trade. The $102,040 Indiana median compares favorably to the national picture for this occupation, making Indiana a reasonable place to build a career in line work.

All figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.