Skilled Wages

Lineman salary in Kentucky

Median $37.03 an hour for 2,930 electrical power-line installers and repairers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$37.03/hrMedian hourly wageKentucky, May data
$77,020/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.97 – $49.2310th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,930Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Lineman pay in Kentucky: the full range

Wage percentiles, KentuckyMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrKentucky: 10th $22.97 · 25th $28.45 · median $37.03 · 75th $45.68 · 90th $49.23Kentucky$37.03$22.97$49.23United 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: Kentucky vs United States, May 2025.

Kentucky ranks 44th of 51 states for median lineman pay, and 43rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $41.05). 2,930 electrical power-line installers and repairers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$22.97 – $28.45$47,770 – $59,170roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$28.45 – $45.68$59,170 – $95,020the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$45.68 – $49.23$95,020 – $102,400the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Lineman pay by metro in Kentucky

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrCincinnati: $44.79Cincinnati$44.79Clarksville: $40.27Clarksville$40.27Huntington: $38.37Huntington$38.37Paducah: $37.75Paducah$37.75Lexington: $37.35Lexington$37.35Louisville: $37.03Louisville$37.03Bowling Green: $29.05Bowling Green$29.05
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers by metro area in Kentucky, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Cincinnati$29.26$44.79$57.2473021% above
Clarksville$23.74$40.27$48.181409% above
Huntington$22.36$38.37$52.572904% above
Paducah$22.82$37.75$48.98702% above
Lexington$22.97$37.35$48.426001% above
Louisville$22.84$37.03$51.02650about the same as
Bowling Green$23.30$29.05$45.988022% below

Lineman wages in Kentucky over time

Kentucky, 1999-2025KentuckyUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$45.83United States$37.03Kentucky
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers, Kentucky vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearKentucky $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$19.84$38.34$20.972,180
2000$19.87$37.15$22.011,830
2001$20.48$37.23$22.701,940
2002$21.05$37.67$23.331,790
2003$21.50$37.62$23.541,930
2004$21.43$36.52$23.612,230
2005$22.79$37.57$24.112,580
2006$21.95$35.05$24.412,340
2007$21.67$33.65$25.272,870
2008$22.33$33.39$26.493,000
2009$23.15$34.74$27.242,940
2010$24.23$35.77$27.902,360
2011$25.11$35.94$28.942,180
2012$26.68$37.41$30.412,430
2013$27.77$38.38$30.852,290
2014$29.23$39.75$31.702,490
2015$28.42$38.60$31.952,370
2016$31.05$41.65$32.702,560
2017$33.04$43.40$33.362,440
2018$32.38$41.51$34.092,720
2019$32.09$40.41$34.862,680
2020$29.62$36.85$36.072,660
2021$30.32$36.02$37.652,930
2022$36.94$40.64$39.592,590
2023$38.13$40.29$41.072,870
2024$36.56$37.52$44.502,640
2025$37.03$37.03$45.832,930

In today's dollars, the median lineman wage in Kentucky changed by -4.1% over the last ten years of data.

Is construction work growing in Kentucky?

96.4kConstruction jobsKentucky, 2026-08
+1.3%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202640k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202596kAug 2026
Construction employment in Kentucky (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Lineman pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Kentucky

Questions this page answers

How much do linemans make in Kentucky?

The median lineman in Kentucky earned $37.03 an hour ($77,020 a year) in May 2025, 19% below the national median of $45.83. The middle half earn $28.45–$45.68; the top 10% earn more than $49.23.

Where does Kentucky rank for lineman pay?

Kentucky ranks 44th of 51 states for lineman pay, with a median of $37.03 an hour, and 43rd after adjusting for Kentucky's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.2, US = 100).

What is the union lineman rate in Kentucky?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a lineman classification for most Kentucky counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many linemans work in Kentucky?

BLS counted 2,930 electrical power-line installers and repairers in Kentucky in May 2025, 1.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.74; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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