# Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

US SOC code 49-9051. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/49-9051

Also called: Lineman, Lineworker, Power lineman, Journeyman lineman, Transmission lineman.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **131,070** US electrical power-line installers and repairers, with median pay of **$95,320** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.construction-physics.com/p/the-birth-of-the-grid) of **65,000** from 1930, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for electrical power-line installers and repairers: GIS, ADMS, and digital field tools, 2010 to 2022.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=49-9051&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **0%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1844
- Latest US employment: 131,070 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $95,320 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [11]
- Outlook: +10.3% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [27]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 72203)
  - Employment, 2020: 13,300. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 72203 Electrical power line and cable workers, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$117,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [14]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 72203 Electrical power line and cable workers, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1930 | 65,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Construction Physics [1] |
| 1940 | 95,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Living New Deal [2] |
| 1960 | 120,000 (estimate) | $5,800 (estimate) | Est., Construction Physics (employment) [3]; Est., University of Missouri Libraries (pay) [9] |
| 2000 | 96,200 | $45,780 | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 95,190 | $48,960 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 101,760 | $49,100 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 106,060 | $50,150 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 110,520 | $50,780 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 109,990 | $52,570 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 111,580 | $55,100 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 108,980 | $56,670 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 105,540 | $58,030 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 105,570 | $60,190 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 112,450 | $63,250 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 111,350 | $64,170 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 114,540 | $65,930 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 115,380 | $66,450 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 117,670 | $68,010 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 116,650 | $69,380 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 114,800 | $70,910 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 111,660 | $72,520 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 114,930 | $75,030 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 123,940 | $78,310 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 119,510 | $82,340 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 120,170 | $85,420 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 123,680 | $92,560 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 131,070 | $95,320 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (91)

### Employment series

1. [Construction Physics — "The Birth of the Grid" (US electric utility industry workforce and infrastructure, 1882-1937)](https://www.construction-physics.com/p/the-birth-of-the-grid), Construction Physics (Brian Potter)
2. [Living New Deal — "Rural Electrification Administration (REA), 1935" (REA construction impact and farm electrification statistics)](https://livingnewdeal.org/glossary/rural-electrification-administration-rea-1935/), Living New Deal / UC Berkeley
3. [Construction Physics — "The Grid, Part II: The Golden Age of the Power Industry" (1945-1965 grid capacity expansion statistics)](https://www.construction-physics.com/p/the-grid-part-ii-the-golden-age-of), Construction Physics (Brian Potter)
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

9. [University of Missouri Libraries — "Prices and Wages by Decade: 1950-1959" (BLS Occupational Wage Survey references for skilled utility trades)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1950-1959), University of Missouri Libraries / BLS historical sources
10. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
11. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
14. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

15. [Lineworker — Wikipedia (history: telegraph era origins 1844, term "lineman" established)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineworker), Wikipedia
16. [Lowell Corporation — "The Evolution of the Lineman" (1890s electrocution era; IBEW founding; 1 in 3 fatality rate)](https://lowellcorp.com/evolution-of-the-lineman/), Lowell Corporation
17. [IBEW — "Our History and Museum" (founding November 21, 1891, St. Louis; Henry Miller; safety and training as founding grievances)](https://ibew.org/our-history-museum/), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
18. [Hubbell Power Systems — "What's Inside a Lineman's Hotstick... and Why?" (history: 1913 forerunners, Sitka spruce, A.B. Chance mid-1940s plastic coating)](https://blog.hubbell.com/en/hubbellpowersystems/whats-inside-a-linemans-hotstick-and-why), Hubbell Power Systems
19. [Living New Deal — "Rural Electrification Administration (REA), 1935" (REA founding, farm electrification statistics, line-crew employment)](https://livingnewdeal.org/glossary/rural-electrification-administration-rea-1935/), Living New Deal / UC Berkeley
20. [Smithsonian National Museum of American History — "Power from the People: Rural Electrification brought more than lights"](https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/power-people-rural-electrification-brought-more-lights), Smithsonian Institution
21. [Apex Utility Parts — "A Quick History of Bucket Trucks" (Buck Manufacturing 1946, hydraulic boom development, utility adoption in 1950s-1960s)](https://www.apexutilityparts.com/blog/a-quick-history-of-bucket-trucks), Apex Utility Parts
22. [Contrary Research — "Lineworkers: Keeping America's Lights On" (2005 DOL workforce shortage warning; retirement wave; deregulation impact)](https://contrary.com/blog/lineworkers-keeping-americas-lights-on), Contrary Research
23. [Esri — "Transforming Utility Management with ArcGIS Field Maps and Trimble Catalyst" (field data capture, GPS attribution, enterprise GIS integration)](https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcwatch/transforming-utility-management-with-arcgis-field-maps-and-trimble-catalyst), Esri
24. [Capacity.com — "AI-Powered Outage Management" (SCADA+GIS+AMI integration; mobile-app switching orders for field crews)](https://capacity.com/blog/outage-management/), Capacity.com
25. [Commercial UAV News — "The Future of Utility Inspections: How AI and Autonomous Drones Are Transforming Grid Maintenance" (Skydio-Firmatek 92% time reduction; Buzz Solutions, Percepto deployment examples)](https://www.commercialuavnews.com/energy/the-future-of-utility-inspections-how-ai-and-autonomous-drones-are-transforming-grid-maintenance), Commercial UAV News
26. [KYRO AI — "How AI Is Revolutionizing Lineman Work During Storms" (AI storm-response platform: predictive crew positioning, GIS hazard mapping, 20-40% faster restoration)](https://kyro.ai/blog/how-ai-is-revolutionizing-lineman-work-during-storms-safer-smarter-faster-restoration-in-2026), KYRO AI

### Forecasts and exposure studies

27. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 49-9051 Electrical power-line installers and repairers (2025: 131.9 thousand; 2035: 145.5 thousand; +10.3%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=49-9051&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
28. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 49-9051.00, human-rated β 0)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

29. [Lineworker — Wikipedia (history section: origins 1844, Morse telegraph, first linemen)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineworker), Wikipedia
30. [Milestones: Pearl Street Station, 1882 — Engineering and Technology History Wiki (IEEE ETHW)](https://ethw.org/Milestones:Pearl_Street_Station,_1882), IEEE Engineering and Technology History Wiki
31. [IBEW — "Our History and Museum" (founding November 21, 1891, Henry Miller, AFL charter December 7, 1891)](https://ibew.org/our-history-museum/), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
32. [Rural Electrification Act — Wikipedia (farm electrification statistics, REA founding, line-crew employment scale)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act), Wikipedia
33. [Hubbell Power Systems — "What's Inside a Lineman's Hotstick..." (1948 milestone, Anderson and Parkin, 287 kV Hoover Dam line)](https://blog.hubbell.com/en/hubbellpowersystems/whats-inside-a-linemans-hotstick-and-why), Hubbell Power Systems
34. [Contrary Research — "Lineworkers: Keeping America's Lights On" (2005 DOL workforce shortage warning; deregulation hiring slowdown; retirement wave projections)](https://contrary.com/blog/lineworkers-keeping-americas-lights-on), Contrary Research
35. [Goldman Sachs / Fortune — "AI Agent Energy Bottleneck: Lineworker Shortage Already a Crisis" (May 2026)](https://fortune.com/2026/05/13/goldman-sachs-ai-agent-energy-bottleneck-labor-shortage/), Goldman Sachs / Fortune

### Predecessors & successors

36. [Lineworker — Wikipedia (occupation origins: telegraph era 1844, term "lineman" established for telegraph wire stringers)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineworker), Wikipedia
37. [Living New Deal — "Rural Electrification Administration (REA), 1935" (REA construction crews drew workers from agriculture and general labor)](https://livingnewdeal.org/glossary/rural-electrification-administration-rea-1935/), Living New Deal / UC Berkeley

### Present-day analysis

- [BLS OOH 2024-25 — Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers: 7% growth 2024-34; 10,700 annual openings; median wage $92,560 (May 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/line-installers-and-repairers.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS OEWS May 2024 — 49-9051: median annual wage $92,560; top 10% above $126,610](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499051.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (49-9051.00): tasks, technology skills, work conditions](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/49-9051.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): physical-execution-heavy roles have very low LLM task-exposure; cognitive estimation and fault-diagnosis subtasks modestly LLM-adjacent](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Commercial UAV News 2025 — Autonomous drones (Skydio, Percepto, Buzz Solutions) transforming grid maintenance; Skydio-Firmatek cut pole inspection time 92%](https://www.commercialuavnews.com/energy/the-future-of-utility-inspections-how-ai-and-autonomous-drones-are-transforming-grid-maintenance), accessed 2026-06-05
- [KYRO AI 2026 — AI storm-response platform for linemen: predictive crew positioning, GIS hazard mapping, mobile field reporting; claims 20-40% faster storm restoration](https://kyro.ai/blog/how-ai-is-revolutionizing-lineman-work-during-storms-safer-smarter-faster-restoration-in-2026), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Goldman Sachs 2026 — AI as energy bottleneck: lineworker shortage already a full-blown crisis as grid buildout for AI data centers accelerates demand](https://fortune.com/2026/05/13/goldman-sachs-ai-agent-energy-bottleneck-labor-shortage/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Esri 2025 — ArcGIS Field Maps + Trimble Catalyst: field technicians capture precise locations and defect attributes directly into enterprise GIS](https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcwatch/transforming-utility-management-with-arcgis-field-maps-and-trimble-catalyst), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Buzz Solutions PowerAI 2025 — automates detection of conductor damage, insulator defects, vegetation encroachment; 3x inspector productivity](https://www.buzzsolutions.co/powerai/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [FlyPix AI 2025 — AI geospatial inspection: detects corrosion, damaged insulators, vegetation encroachment in aerial imagery](https://flypix.ai/power-line-monitoring/), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.