The median annual wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers was $66,450 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,000, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $95,990.
The median annual wage for telecommunications line installers and repairers was $52,920 in May 2015.
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,360, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $81,090.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for line installers and repairers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution
$71,050
Wired telecommunications carriers
65,930
Local government, excluding education and hospitals
61,950
Utility system construction
49,440
Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors
43,670
Although most work full time during regular business hours, some line installers and repairers may work evenings and weekends. In emergencies or after storms and other natural disasters, they may have to work long hours for several days in a row.
Union Membership
Compared with workers in all occupations, line installers and repairers had a higher percentage of workers who belonged to a union in 2014.
Line Installers and Repairers
Median annual wages, May 2015
Electrical power-line installers and repairers
$66,450
Line installers and repairers
$61,430
Telecommunications line installers and repairers
$52,920
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
$42,790
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics