Skilled Trades & Technical

Electric Utility Worker

Build and repair the power lines and equipment that bring electricity to homes, often after storms

Open interactive guide

What does an Electric Utility Worker do?

Electric utility workers, often called line workers, climb poles and use bucket trucks to install and fix power lines. Some work in substations or read and repair meters. The job means working outdoors in all weather and getting called out at night when storms knock out power.

A day in the life

6:30 AMMeet the crew, review the work plan, and hold a safety talk
7:30 AMCheck the bucket truck, rubber gloves, and climbing tools
8:30 AMLift up in the bucket to replace a worn crossarm on a pole
11:00 AMTest that a line is shut off before anyone touches it
1:30 PMRestring wire or swap a transformer for a growing neighborhood
4:00 PMFill out work reports and restock the truck for tomorrow

What's great

  • Paid apprenticeship with strong benefits
  • Close crews that look out for each other
  • Outdoor work instead of a desk
  • Neighbors count on you during outages

The hard parts

  • Long storm call-outs at night and holidays
  • Working near high voltage is dangerous
  • Climbing and lifting in heat, cold, and rain
  • Apprenticeship takes three to four years

What is an Electric Utility Worker's salary and outlook?

$42k – $105k
Salary Range
Certificate / Trade school
Typical Education
Stable

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $42,000 to $105,000 a year, with a midpoint around $70,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Stable.

For the official national outlook, see BLS Occupational Data.

How do you become an Electric Utility Worker?

A common path is High school diploma plus a 3-4 year apprenticeship; a CDL is often needed. The ladder often runs from Apprentice Lineworker to Journeyman Lineworker, then Line Crew Foreman, and Line Operations Superintendent. Other routes: Lineworker school certificate program before applying to utilities; Union or utility-run apprenticeship; Military electrical or construction experience; Start as a groundman or meter reader and work up.

  • Lineworker school certificate program before applying to utilities
  • Union or utility-run apprenticeship
  • Military electrical or construction experience
  • Start as a groundman or meter reader and work up

Career path

Entry level
Apprentice Lineworker
Mid career
Journeyman Lineworker
Senior
Line Crew Foreman
Executive
Line Operations Superintendent

Will AI replace an Electric Utility Worker?

How much will AI change this job?

A little

AI will change only a small part of this job. Most of the work stays hands-on and human.

Electric utility work stays hands-on, with AI helping behind the scenes.

Electric utility workers climb poles, fix lines, and keep power running safely. This job happens outdoors and up close to real equipment, so it can't be done by a computer. AI may help plan schedules or predict problems, but the hands-on repair work stays the same.

AI can help with

  • Predicting when equipment might fail soon
  • Planning efficient routes for repair crews
  • Tracking outages and power grid data

What stays human

  • Climbing poles and towers to fix lines
  • Making safe decisions during storms or emergencies
  • Handling live wires and heavy equipment carefully

Skills to build now

  • Take shop, electronics, or physics classes
  • Practice following safety rules and instructions exactly
  • Build strength and balance through sports or climbing

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.