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

The median annual wage for power-line workers in Tennessee is $83,660, which works out to roughly $40.22 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of a wide spread — the bottom quarter of workers earns around $66,190 per year ($31.82/hr), while the top quarter clears $96,980 ($46.63/hr). The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is over $30,000 a year, which tells you experience, employer type, and the kind of work you're doing makes a real difference in this trade.

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, published May 2025. They cover line installers and repairers working on electrical power systems — the crews who string transmission and distribution lines, splice cable, operate bucket trucks and digger derricks, and respond to outages. Substation work and telecommunications line work are tracked separately by BLS, so this data is specific to power delivery.

Entry-level workers and those in the first few years of an apprenticeship typically fall at or below the 25th percentile. A $66,190 base is still well above what most non-trades jobs pay without a four-year degree, but it reflects the learning curve — you're still building the skill set and earning certifications. By the time a lineman hits journeyman status and logs five or more years on the job, wages in the median-to-upper range become realistic. Top earners at $96,980 and above are generally experienced journeymen with specialized skills, lead linemen, or workers in high-demand areas.

Overtime is a major factor in total annual take-home for this trade. Storms, ice events, and equipment failures drive call-outs at any hour, and Tennessee sees its share of severe weather. A worker earning $40/hr straight time earns $60/hr on overtime. A single major weather event that requires 20 hours of overtime in a week adds roughly $1,200 to that paycheck alone. Workers who are willing to travel for mutual-aid restoration work after large regional outages can stack significant overtime earnings on top of their base salary in a short window.

Tennessee's geography creates real pay variation within the state. The Nashville metro, Knoxville, and Chattanooga tend to have more active construction and utility work, which can mean steadier hours and more overtime opportunity. Rural co-op territory may offer fewer total hours on average but can have strong base wages depending on the cooperative's pay scale. Memphis-area workers may also have access to jobs tied to large industrial and commercial projects running out of the mid-South.

Employer type matters. Investor-owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, electrical contractors, and municipal power boards all hire line workers, and their pay scales are not identical. Contractors working on transmission build-outs or storm restoration tend to pay well on a per-hour basis, but hours can be less predictable. Utility employers may offer more stability, benefits, and defined progression steps.

Some power-line workers in Tennessee are covered by collective bargaining agreements. If you're in a union position, your rate and progression schedule are set in the agreement itself — check your local's contract directly for the specifics, since those details aren't captured in this BLS dataset.

The BLS figures here are base wages only. They don't capture shift differentials, per diem for travel work, vehicle allowances, or employer contributions to pension and health benefits — all of which are common in this trade and can add meaningful value to total compensation. When comparing offers, look at the full package, not just the hourly rate.

Apprenticeship is the standard path into this trade. Programs typically run three to four years and combine on-the-job hours with classroom or online technical instruction. Tennessee apprentices start below the median but receive step increases as they advance, and graduating as a journeyman lineman positions you squarely in the median-to-upper range of the wage data shown here.

To move up in pay, the clearest levers are years of experience, picking up certifications (rubber gloving, hot-stick work, equipment operation), being available for overtime and emergency response, and taking on leadership roles as a crew leader or foreman. Workers who cross-train on substation or transmission work often find their market value increases significantly.