Taylor Hammack was wiring houses for a living around the time Hurricane Michael made landfall along the Florida Panhandle in 2018. The Category 5 hurricane flattened homes and businesses, destroyed infrastructure and left at least one town along the Gulf Coast in ruins.
The ordeal sparked something in Taylor as he drove to work one day.
“It was about three or four days after Michael hit, and I saw all these line crews on the side of the road getting the power back up,” he says. “Just seeing them do that after something catastrophic had happened—I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ To me, it was a way to help people when they’re in need.”
Soon after, Taylor was hired as an apprentice lineworker at Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, which put him through a four-year training program with Tennessee Valley Public Power Association. Today, Taylor is a journeyman lineworker.
Lineworkers install, maintain and repair power lines and equipment on utility poles and underground electrical systems. It’s a tough but rewarding trade that usually requires three to four years of training to achieve rank as a fully qualified journey-level lineworker. A few other qualities are important, too, say lineworkers across the country.
Still on the Line
Since the first electric wire was strung, lineworkers have held an important role in modern America. When disaster strikes, they’re the ones who get the lights back on. They work along city streets, farmlands and wilderness.
The job can be difficult and sometimes dangerous, but the rewards are excellent, says Nick Hagen, a journeyman lineworker at Northern Lights Inc. in Idaho.
“I like the appreciation the community gives us, especially after we get the power back on after three days, four days or even 10 days,” he says. “It’s a fulfilling job.”
Nick remembers pulling up near a house to repair power lines one Christmas Eve.
“They had been out of power for days,” he says. “Once I finished, I remember seeing their Christmas lights come back on. I thought that was pretty cool.”
The pay is good, too, he says. Nick was making ends meet as a valet at a hotel when he first learned about the trade. He wanted a better life for his family, and linework fit the bill. It also gave him a chance at retirement.
“Getting a good job with a retirement where you could actually enjoy your life after work? Nobody had ever really talked about that to me,” he says.
While compensation and benefits vary for lineworkers depending on location, experience and other factors, the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median pay in 2023 was $85,420 per year, or $41.07 per hour. However, those figures represent the middle of the pay range, and they don’t take into account overtime hours and additional jobs helping other utilities in the aftermath of storms—all of which can result in additional income.
How to Do It
Joining the trade means learning various—and oftentimes difficult—technical skill sets in and out of the classroom, all while maintaining a certain level of physical fitness, says David Bogue, a journeyman lineworker with Florida Keys Electric Cooperative.
Not only do lineworkers need to know how electrical systems work, they’re also required to learn numerous safety techniques. In addition, lineworkers climb utility poles wearing heavy toolbelts in all kinds of weather. The job requires working days and nights, depending on schedules and needs.
“I would say becoming a journeyman is an attainable goal, but it’s a hard goal,” David says. “But, as someone once told me, I could throw a dart at a map and go get a job there. Also, the skills I’ve learned are not going to be replaced with AI anytime soon.”
Lineworkers can get their start by attending training schools, taking community college courses or working at a local utility in other capacities, such as a groundworker. Rudy Vega, a journeyman lineworker at FKEC, got his start doing right-of-way work with the cooperative 23 years ago.
“I had been working in a tree group there just under two years when the opportunity came up to be an apprentice lineman,” Rudy says. “They approached me and asked me if I was interested, and I said, ‘Definitely. I’ll give it my best.’”
Evan Peters, a lineworker at Washington’s Benton Rural Electric Association, was fighting wildfires when he first learned about the trade from a group of lineworkers.
When he expressed an interest in the job, one of the men suggested he attend a lineworker school. After graduating, he took a job at Benton REA.
“I like that it’s something new every day,” Evan says. “I like that I get to work outside with my hands, especially at a local utility. It can be really fulfilling.”
When it comes to joining up, however, Evan suggests those interested ask around before they jump in headfirst.
“I would tell them to reach out to local linemen,” he says. “Ask them how they did it. Everybody’s story is a little bit different. Everyone gets into the trade in their own way.”
Want to Be a Lineworker?
Must-haves:
- Be 18 years of age.
- Hold a high school diploma or GED.
- Maintain a valid driver’s license.
- Able to work at heights and lift heavy equipment.
Getting started?
Every lineworker has a story about how they got started, and there are many pathways to taking the job. Here are a few ways to make it happen:
- Join an apprenticeship program at a local utility.
- Enroll in a lineworker school or training program.
- Start at a utility as a groundworker or other job.