Skilled Wages

Lineman salary in North Carolina

Median $37.15 an hour for 5,650 electrical power-line installers and repairers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$37.15/hrMedian hourly wageNorth Carolina, May data
$77,270/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.16 – $50.6910th to 90th percentilehourly range
5,650Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Lineman pay in North Carolina: the full range

Wage percentiles, North CarolinaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$40$60$80/hrNorth Carolina: 10th $23.16 · 25th $29.08 · median $37.15 · 75th $48.23 · 90th $50.69North Carolina$37.15$23.16$50.69United 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: North Carolina vs United States, May 2025.

North Carolina ranks 43rd of 51 states for median lineman pay, and 48th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $39.40). 5,650 electrical power-line installers and repairers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.16 – $29.08$48,180 – $60,490roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$29.08 – $48.23$60,490 – $100,310the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$48.23 – $50.69$100,310 – $105,430the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Lineman pay by metro in North Carolina

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrWinston-Salem: $47.46Winston-Salem$47.46Goldsboro: $41.30Goldsboro$41.30Charlotte: $39.30Charlotte$39.30Asheville: $38.57Asheville$38.57Greensboro: $38.07Greensboro$38.07Raleigh: $37.95Raleigh$37.95Durham: $34.33Durham$34.33Hickory: $34.27Hickory$34.27Virginia Beach: $32.86Virginia Beach$32.86Fayetteville: $31.32Fayetteville$31.32Wilmington: $30.59Wilmington$30.59Rocky Mount: $30.22Rocky Mount$30.22
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers by metro area in North Carolina, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Winston-Salem$27.44$47.46$53.4511028% above
Goldsboro$26.89$41.30$53.474011% above
Charlotte$22.15$39.30$52.621,1306% above
Asheville$21.41$38.57$51.091504% above
Greensboro$21.34$38.07$50.961902% above
Raleigh$21.12$37.95$50.785502% above
Durham$23.18$34.33$49.992308% below
Hickory$20.77$34.27$50.901908% below
Virginia Beach$23.64$32.86$48.3342012% below
Fayetteville$20.90$31.32$48.6127016% below
Wilmington$22.29$30.59$50.4923018% below
Rocky Mount$18.61$30.22$49.677019% below
Greenville$23.76$30.01$47.439019% below

Lineman wages in North Carolina over time

North Carolina, 1999-2025North CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$45.83United States$37.15North Carolina
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers, North Carolina vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNorth Carolina $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$17.73$34.26$20.975,350
2000$19.23$35.95$22.015,550
2001$19.73$35.87$22.704,780
2002$20.10$35.97$23.334,200
2003$20.73$36.27$23.544,370
2004$19.91$33.93$23.614,280
2005$20.67$34.07$24.115,480
2006$20.97$33.49$24.415,300
2007$21.97$34.11$25.275,120
2008$22.38$33.46$26.494,770
2009$22.77$34.17$27.244,400
2010$23.22$34.28$27.902,900
2011$23.80$34.06$28.942,870
2012$25.40$35.62$30.413,320
2013$24.25$33.51$30.854,420
2014$25.15$34.20$31.704,810
2015$25.60$34.77$31.954,760
2016$27.70$37.16$32.704,570
2017$27.85$36.58$33.364,580
2018$28.70$36.80$34.094,560
2019$29.29$36.88$34.864,020
2020$31.35$39.00$36.074,790
2021$30.49$36.23$37.654,640
2022$31.81$34.99$39.595,630
2023$36.16$38.21$41.075,420
2024$36.36$37.32$44.504,930
2025$37.15$37.15$45.835,650

In today's dollars, the median lineman wage in North Carolina changed by +6.8% over the last ten years of data.

Is construction work growing in North Carolina?

299.4kConstruction jobsNorth Carolina, 2026-08
+6.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025299kAug 2026
Construction employment in North Carolina (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Lineman pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in North Carolina

Questions this page answers

How much do linemans make in North Carolina?

The median lineman in North Carolina earned $37.15 an hour ($77,270 a year) in May 2025, 19% below the national median of $45.83. The middle half earn $29.08–$48.23; the top 10% earn more than $50.69.

Where does North Carolina rank for lineman pay?

North Carolina ranks 43rd of 51 states for lineman pay, with a median of $37.15 an hour, and 48th after adjusting for North Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.3, US = 100).

What is the union lineman rate in North Carolina?

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

How many linemans work in North Carolina?

BLS counted 5,650 electrical power-line installers and repairers in North Carolina in May 2025, 1.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.36; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, North Carolina 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.