Skilled Wages

Lineman salary in Iowa

Median $48.17 an hour for 1,390 electrical power-line installers and repairers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$48.17/hrMedian hourly wageIowa, May data
$100,200/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$31.40 – $52.8710th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,390Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Lineman pay in Iowa: the full range

Wage percentiles, IowaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$40$60$80/hrIowa: 10th $31.40 · 25th $38.40 · median $48.17 · 75th $49.75 · 90th $52.87Iowa$48.17$31.40$52.87United 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: Iowa vs United States, May 2025.

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 electrical power-line installers and repairers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$31.40 – $38.40$65,310 – $79,860roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$38.40 – $49.75$79,860 – $103,490the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$49.75 – $52.87$103,490 – $109,980the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Lineman pay by metro in Iowa

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrCedar Rapids: $49.56Cedar Rapids$49.56Iowa City: $49.52Iowa City$49.52Waterloo: $49.37Waterloo$49.37Sioux City: $49.20Sioux City$49.20Des Moines: $49.15Des Moines$49.15Omaha: $49.02Omaha$49.02Ames: $48.16Ames$48.16Davenport: $46.94Davenport$46.94
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers by metro area in Iowa, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Cedar Rapids$36.53$49.56$52.871003% above
Iowa City$32.54$49.52$53.67403% above
Waterloo$31.13$49.37$55.52502% above
Sioux City$37.93$49.20$55.29902% above
Des Moines$35.96$49.15$55.292002% above
Omaha$29.03$49.02$56.843702% above
Ames$36.64$48.16$53.5440about the same as
Davenport$35.45$46.94$56.56903% below

Lineman wages in Iowa over time

Iowa, 1999-2025IowaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50$60200020052010201520202025$48.17Iowa$45.83United States
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers, Iowa vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIowa $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$21.88$42.28$20.971,500
2000$22.05$41.22$22.011,190
2001$21.84$39.70$22.701,330
2002$22.46$40.19$23.331,320
2003$22.37$39.14$23.541,350
2004$23.74$40.46$23.611,610
2005$24.65$40.63$24.111,830
2006$24.44$39.03$24.411,710
2007$24.70$38.35$25.271,620
2008$25.70$38.43$26.491,570
2009$26.11$39.18$27.241,960
2010$27.50$40.60$27.901,710
2011$27.19$38.92$28.941,820
2012$28.53$40.01$30.411,730
2013$29.35$40.56$30.851,830
2014$29.06$39.52$31.701,830
2015$31.60$42.92$31.951,940
2016$32.11$43.07$32.701,920
2017$34.40$45.18$33.361,840
2018$34.89$44.73$34.091,780
2019$35.65$44.89$34.861,850
2020$38.24$47.57$36.072,050
2021$37.98$45.12$37.651,400
2022$41.61$45.77$39.591,670
2023$45.16$47.72$41.071,550
2024$46.08$47.29$44.501,440
2025$48.17$48.17$45.831,390

In today's dollars, the median lineman wage in Iowa changed by +12.2% over the last ten years of data.

Is construction work growing in Iowa?

93.8kConstruction jobsIowa, 2026-08
+3.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202594kAug 2026
Construction employment in Iowa (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Lineman pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Iowa

Questions this page answers

How much do linemans 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 linemans work in Iowa?

BLS counted 1,390 electrical power-line installers and repairers in Iowa in May 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.06; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Iowa 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.