Lineman salary in Iowa
Median $48.17 an hour for 1,390 linemen, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Lineman pay in Iowa: the full range
Iowa ranks 26th of 51 states for median lineman pay, and 9th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $54.86). 1,390 linemen work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $31.40 – $38.40 | $65,310 – $79,860 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $38.40 – $49.75 | $79,860 – $103,490 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $49.75 – $52.87 | $103,490 – $109,980 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Lineman pay by metro in Iowa
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $36.53 | $49.56 | $55.69 | $52.87 | 100 | 3% above |
| Iowa City | $32.54 | $49.52 | $54.12 | $53.67 | 40 | 3% above |
| Waterloo | $31.13 | $49.37 | $56.68 | $55.52 | 50 | 2% above |
| Sioux City | $37.93 | $49.20 | $56.88 | $55.29 | 90 | 2% above |
| Des Moines | $35.96 | $49.15 | $53.60 | $55.29 | 200 | 2% above |
| Omaha | $29.03 | $49.02 | $53.34 | $56.84 | 370 | 2% above |
| Ames | $36.64 | $48.16 | $54.23 | $53.54 | 40 | about the same as |
| Davenport | $35.45 | $46.94 | $52.68 | $56.56 | 90 | 3% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Lineman wages in Iowa over time
Table
| Year | Iowa $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $21.88 | $42.28 | $20.97 | 1,500 |
| 2000 | $22.05 | $41.22 | $22.01 | 1,190 |
| 2001 | $21.84 | $39.70 | $22.70 | 1,330 |
| 2002 | $22.46 | $40.19 | $23.33 | 1,320 |
| 2003 | $22.37 | $39.14 | $23.54 | 1,350 |
| 2004 | $23.74 | $40.46 | $23.61 | 1,610 |
| 2005 | $24.65 | $40.63 | $24.11 | 1,830 |
| 2006 | $24.44 | $39.03 | $24.41 | 1,710 |
| 2007 | $24.70 | $38.35 | $25.27 | 1,620 |
| 2008 | $25.70 | $38.43 | $26.49 | 1,570 |
| 2009 | $26.11 | $39.18 | $27.24 | 1,960 |
| 2010 | $27.50 | $40.60 | $27.90 | 1,710 |
| 2011 | $27.19 | $38.92 | $28.94 | 1,820 |
| 2012 | $28.53 | $40.01 | $30.41 | 1,730 |
| 2013 | $29.35 | $40.56 | $30.85 | 1,830 |
| 2014 | $29.06 | $39.52 | $31.70 | 1,830 |
| 2015 | $31.60 | $42.92 | $31.95 | 1,940 |
| 2016 | $32.11 | $43.07 | $32.70 | 1,920 |
| 2017 | $34.40 | $45.18 | $33.36 | 1,840 |
| 2018 | $34.89 | $44.73 | $34.09 | 1,780 |
| 2019 | $35.65 | $44.89 | $34.86 | 1,850 |
| 2020 | $38.24 | $47.57 | $36.07 | 2,050 |
| 2021 | $37.98 | $45.12 | $37.65 | 1,400 |
| 2022 | $41.61 | $45.77 | $39.59 | 1,670 |
| 2023 | $45.16 | $47.72 | $41.07 | 1,550 |
| 2024 | $46.08 | $47.29 | $44.50 | 1,440 |
| 2025 | $48.17 | $48.17 | $45.83 | 1,390 |
In today's dollars, the median lineman wage in Iowa changed by +12.2% over the last ten years of data and by +7.3% since 2019.
Are there more lineman jobs in Iowa?
BLS counted 1,390 linemen in Iowa in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 8%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for linemen in Iowa
Iowa's labor market agency projects the number of linemen in the state to change by +4.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,710 to 1,790, with about 140 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +10.3% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,390 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Iowa labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Iowa?
Keep comparing
Lineman pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Iowa
More on Iowa
Questions this page answers
How much do linemen make in Iowa?
The median lineman in Iowa earned $48.17 an hour ($100,200 a year) in May 2025, 5% above the national median of $45.83. The middle half earn $38.40–$49.75; the top 10% earn more than $52.87.
Where does Iowa rank for lineman pay?
Iowa ranks 26th of 51 states for lineman pay, with a median of $48.17 an hour, and 9th after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.8, US = 100).
What is the union lineman rate in Iowa?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a lineman classification for most Iowa counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many linemen work in Iowa?
BLS counted 1,390 linemen in Iowa in May 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.06; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is lineman work growing in Iowa?
Iowa's labor market agency projects +4.4% growth for linemen between 2024 and 2034, from 1,710 to 1,790 jobs.
How many lineman openings a year are there in Iowa?
Iowa projects about 140 openings a year for linemen over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 10,900 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Iowa and metro areas, SOC 49-9051. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Iowa labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.