Occupations · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 49-9051.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 89% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $119,760 | 3,490 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $80,480 | 3,240 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $77,860 | 3,100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $127,810 | 2,840 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $82,050 | 2,140 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $114,030 | 2,140 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $110,830 | 1,820 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $93,910 | 1,640 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $89,640 | 1,560 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $115,430 | 1,420 |
| Columbus, OH | $79,810 | 1,410 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $76,040 | 1,300 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
- Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
- Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
- Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
- Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
- Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.
- Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers.
- Replace or straighten damaged poles.
- String wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension.
- Attach cross-arms, insulators, and auxiliary equipment to poles prior to installing them.
- Dig holes, using augers, and set poles, using cranes and power equipment.
- Travel in trucks, helicopters, and airplanes to inspect lines for freedom from obstruction and adequacy of insulation.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2021-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2021-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 7
No longer listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| electricity distribution worker | 7413.1 | exact |
| electrical transmission system operator | 3131.1.2 | close |
| electric meter technician | 7411.1.2 | close |
| power lines supervisor | 3123.1.18 | close |
| electrical power distributor | 3131.1.1 | close |
| electrician | 7411.1 | close |
| street lighting electrician | 7413.1.3 | broader |
| overhead line worker | 7413.1.2 | broader |
| cable jointer | 7413.1.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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