Skilled Wages

Lineman salary in California

Median $62.04 an hour for 8,930 electrical power-line installers and repairers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$62.04/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$129,040/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$37.19 – $80.3310th to 90th percentilehourly range
8,930Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Lineman pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$40$60$80$100/hrCalifornia: 10th $37.19 · 25th $47.44 · median $62.04 · 75th $75.18 · 90th $80.33California$62.04$37.19$80.33United States: 10th $24.74 · 25th $32.34 · median $45.83 · 75th $52.76 · 90th $61.87United States$45.83
Hourly wage percentiles for electrical power-line installers and repairers: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 4th of 51 states for median lineman pay, and 8th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $56.04). 8,930 electrical power-line installers and repairers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$37.19 – $47.44$77,350 – $98,680roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$47.44 – $75.18$98,680 – $156,380the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$75.18 – $80.33$156,380 – $167,090the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Lineman pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60$80/hrSan Jose: $75.78San Jose$75.78San Francisco: $65.95San Francisco$65.95El Centro: $64.88El Centro$64.88Fresno: $64.50Fresno$64.50Oxnard: $63.00Oxnard$63.00Los Angeles: $62.71Los Angeles$62.71Riverside: $61.90Riverside$61.90Sacramento: $61.14Sacramento$61.14Bakersfield: $60.90Bakersfield$60.90San Luis Obispo: $59.45San Luis Obispo$59.45San Diego: $58.11San Diego$58.11Vallejo: $54.32Vallejo$54.32
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
San Jose$48.17$75.78$94.5630022% above
San Francisco$40.20$65.95$91.347706% above
El Centro$32.79$64.88$64.88405% above
Fresno$41.41$64.50$75.852304% above
Oxnard$39.72$63.00$80.102002% above
Los Angeles$37.14$62.71$81.512,1401% above
Riverside$36.09$61.90$78.491,580about the same as
Sacramento$28.79$61.14$78.136501% below
Bakersfield$36.08$60.90$73.122802% below
San Luis Obispo$34.94$59.45$73.091704% below
San Diego$31.57$58.11$76.387406% below
Vallejo$36.87$54.32$75.5636012% below

Lineman wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$20$40$60$80200020052010201520202025$62.04California$45.83United States
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$24.62$47.58$20.975,710
2000$25.88$48.38$22.015,200
2001$27.57$50.12$22.70—
2002$29.23$52.31$23.334,780
2003$30.26$52.95$23.544,560
2004$30.45$51.90$23.614,360
2005$28.92$47.67$24.115,930
2006$30.11$48.08$24.416,100
2007$32.29$50.14$25.277,220
2008$38.14$57.03$26.497,040
2009$38.87$58.33$27.246,810
2010$39.55$58.39$27.906,240
2011$40.89$58.52$28.946,360
2012$44.44$62.31$30.417,260
2013$48.39$66.87$30.857,100
2014$49.23$66.95$31.707,360
2015$50.23$68.23$31.956,760
2016$50.08$67.18$32.707,340
2017$51.30$67.38$33.367,070
2018$49.15$63.01$34.097,460
2019$50.94$64.15$34.866,730
2020$49.50$61.57$36.078,010
2021$50.05$59.47$37.659,300
2022$50.19$55.21$39.599,190
2023$54.04$57.10$41.079,000
2024$58.91$60.46$44.5011,070
2025$62.04$62.04$45.838,930

In today's dollars, the median lineman wage in California changed by -9.1% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for linemans in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay linemans at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 52 of the 56 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $94.87 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $24.88). 4 of the 56 counties still use a survey rate dated 1986 or earlier (for example Del Norte County at $24.88). The market median for the state is $62.04.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $94.87 (union)Alpine: $94.87 (union)Amador: $94.87 (union)Butte: $94.87 (union)Calaveras: $94.87 (union)Colusa: $94.87 (union)Contra Costa: $94.87 (union)Del Norte: $24.88 (survey)El Dorado: $94.87 (union)Fresno: $94.87 (union)Glenn: $94.87 (union)Humboldt: $24.88 (survey)Imperial: $94.87 (union)Inyo: $94.87 (union)Kern: $94.87 (union)Kings: $94.87 (union)Lake: $24.88 (survey)Lassen: $94.87 (union)Los Angeles: $94.87 (union)Madera: $94.87 (union)Marin: $94.87 (union)Mariposa: $94.87 (union)Mendocino: $24.88 (survey)Merced: $94.87 (union)Modoc: $94.87 (union)Mono: $94.87 (union)Monterey: $94.87 (union)Napa: $94.87 (union)Nevada: $94.87 (union)Orange: $94.87 (union)Placer: $94.87 (union)Plumas: $94.87 (union)Riverside: $94.87 (union)Sacramento: $94.87 (union)San Benito: $94.87 (union)San Bernardino: $94.87 (union)San Diego: $94.87 (union)San Francisco: $94.87 (union)San Joaquin: $94.87 (union)San Luis Obispo: $94.87 (union)San Mateo: $94.87 (union)Santa Barbara: $94.87 (union)Santa Clara: $94.87 (union)Santa Cruz: $94.87 (union)Shasta: $94.87 (union)Sierra: $94.87 (union)Siskiyou: $94.87 (union)Solano: $94.87 (union)Sonoma: $94.87 (union)Stanislaus: $94.87 (union)Sutter: $94.87 (union)Tehama: $94.87 (union)Trinity: $94.87 (union)Tulare: —Tuolumne: $94.87 (union)Ventura: —Yolo: $94.87 (union)Yuba: $94.87 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hrn/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for linemans by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$40$60$80$100/hrSolano (Vallejo): market median $54.32, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$40.55Solano (Vallejo)+$40.55San Diego (San Diego): market median $58.11, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$36.76San Diego (San Diego)+$36.76San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo): market median $59.45, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$35.42San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo)+$35.42Kern (Bakersfield): market median $60.90, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$33.97Kern (Bakersfield)+$33.97El Dorado (Sacramento): market median $61.14, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$33.73El Dorado (Sacramento)+$33.73Riverside (Riverside): market median $61.90, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$32.97Riverside (Riverside)+$32.97Butte (California): market median $62.04, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$32.83Butte (California)+$32.83Los Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $62.71, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$32.16Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$32.16Fresno (Fresno): market median $64.50, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$30.37Fresno (Fresno)+$30.37Imperial (El Centro): market median $64.88, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$29.99Imperial (El Centro)+$29.99Alameda (San Francisco): market median $65.95, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$28.92Alameda (San Francisco)+$28.92San Benito (San Jose): market median $75.78, prevailing (union) $94.87, gap +$19.09San Benito (San Jose)+$19.09
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for linemans, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlamedaUnion ELEC1245-001 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260018
AlpineUnion ELEC1245-004 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260007
AmadorUnion ELEC1245-004 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260007
ButteUnion ELEC1245-004 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260007
CalaverasUnion ELEC1245-001 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260018
ColusaUnion ELEC1245-004 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260007
Contra CostaUnion ELEC1245-001 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260018
El DoradoUnion ELEC1245-004 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260007
FresnoUnion ELEC1245-001 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260018
GlennUnion ELEC1245-004 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260007
ImperialUnion ELEC1245-001 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260002
InyoUnion ELEC1245-001 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260020
KernUnion ELEC1245-001 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260020
KingsUnion ELEC1245-001 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260018
LassenUnion ELEC1245-004 2025-01-01$70.16$24.71$94.87CA20260007

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the California prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in California?

898.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025899kAug 2026
Construction employment in California (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Lineman pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

Questions this page answers

How much do linemans make in California?

The median lineman in California earned $62.04 an hour ($129,040 a year) in May 2025, 35% above the national median of $45.83. The middle half earn $47.44–$75.18; the top 10% earn more than $80.33.

Where does California rank for lineman pay?

California ranks 4th of 51 states for lineman pay, with a median of $62.04 an hour, and 8th after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union lineman rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for linemans in 52 counties, with a typical package of $94.87 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many linemans work in California?

BLS counted 8,930 electrical power-line installers and repairers in California in May 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.58; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 49-9051.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.