Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

Electrical power-line installers and repairers install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. They also may erect poles or transmission towers.

Duties

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

• Install, maintain, or repair the power lines that move electricity
• String electrical cable and wires between poles, towers, and buildings
• Identify defective devices, voltage regulators, transformers, and switches
• Inspect and test electrical power lines and auxiliary equipment
• Climb poles and transmission towers and use truck-mounted buckets to reach equipment
• Operate power equipment when installing and repairing poles, towers, and lines

Electrical power-line installers and repairers install and maintain the power grid: the network of cables and wires that moves electricity from generating plants to consumers. They routinely work with high-voltage electricity, which requires extreme caution.

Electrical power-line installers and repairers who maintain the interstate power grid work on crews that travel throughout a region to service transmission lines and towers. Those who are employed by local utilities maintain equipment such as transformers, voltage regulators, and switches. They also may work on traffic lights and street lights.

Workers generally start a new project by digging underground trenches or erecting utility poles and towers to carry the wires and cables. They use a variety of construction equipment, including trucks equipped with augers and cranes to dig holes and set poles in place.

To identify maintenance needs, electrical power-line installers and repairers check for outage reports from remote monitoring, aerial inspections, and customers.

To fix an electrical power-line problem, workers must first identify the cause through diagnostic testing with specialized equipment. To work on poles, electrical power-line installers usually use bucket trucks to raise themselves to the top of the structure. They sometimes need to climb poles and towers, using special safety equipment to keep from falling.

Electrical power-line installers and repairers held about 127,400 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of electrical power-line installers and repairers were as follows:

The work of electrical power-line installers and repairers can be physically demanding. They must be comfortable working at great heights and in confined spaces. They must be able to climb utility poles and transmission towers, as well as to balance while working on them.

Electrical power-line installers and repairers work outdoors in all types of weather, such as rain or wind when storms and other natural disasters damage power lines, to restore electricity. They often drive utility vehicles, and those who are part of a crew working on interstate power grids may need to travel long distances.

Injuries and Illnesses

Electrical power-line installers and repairers encounter serious hazards in their jobs and must follow safety procedures to minimize danger.

These workers may 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 when working on poles or towers, electrical power-line installers and repairers use fall-protection equipment. Safety procedures and training have reduced the danger for electrical power-line installers and repairers.   

Work Schedules

Most electrical power-line installers and repairers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. In emergencies or after storms and other natural disasters, they may have to travel to impacted areas and work long hours for several days in a row.

To enter the occupation, electrical power-line installers and repairers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. To become proficient, they typically require technical instruction and on-the-job training. Apprenticeships are common.

The median annual wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers was $92,560 in May 2024.

Employment of electrical power-line installers and repairers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 10,700 openings for electrical power-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.