Lineman salary in Wisconsin
Median $50.88 an hour for 2,520 linemen, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Lineman pay in Wisconsin: the full range
Wisconsin ranks 17th of 51 states for median lineman pay, and 11th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $54.07). 2,520 linemen work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.1× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $28.04 – $39.50 | $58,330 – $82,150 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $39.50 – $53.92 | $82,150 – $112,150 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $53.92 – $57.62 | $112,150 – $119,850 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Lineman pay by metro in Wisconsin
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | $30.48 | $52.40 | $54.08 | $58.24 | 530 | 3% above |
| Green Bay | $28.23 | $51.93 | $55.78 | $56.63 | 130 | 2% above |
| La Crosse | $44.10 | $51.64 | $56.25 | $56.43 | 110 | 1% above |
| Appleton | $24.28 | $51.62 | $55.87 | $55.53 | 160 | 1% above |
| Minneapolis | $40.86 | $51.37 | $49.02 | $58.81 | 1,130 | 1% above |
| Fond du Lac | $36.03 | $50.11 | $54.71 | $54.62 | 30 | 2% below |
| Madison | $22.89 | $50.11 | $51.50 | $58.18 | 360 | 2% below |
| Janesville | $24.67 | $49.79 | $53.14 | $55.90 | 60 | 2% below |
| Oshkosh | $21.94 | $49.78 | $53.58 | $58.00 | 40 | 2% below |
| Duluth | $35.68 | $48.88 | $55.05 | $55.17 | 170 | 4% below |
| Sheboygan | $22.03 | $45.44 | $48.34 | $57.07 | 70 | 11% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Lineman wages in Wisconsin over time
Table
| Year | Wisconsin $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $22.07 | $42.65 | $20.97 | 1,210 |
| 2000 | $22.36 | $41.80 | $22.01 | 1,280 |
| 2001 | $22.01 | $40.01 | $22.70 | 1,520 |
| 2002 | $23.54 | $42.13 | $23.33 | 1,590 |
| 2003 | $23.29 | $40.75 | $23.54 | 2,040 |
| 2004 | $24.08 | $41.04 | $23.61 | 2,140 |
| 2005 | $25.41 | $41.89 | $24.11 | 2,680 |
| 2006 | $26.15 | $41.76 | $24.41 | 2,640 |
| 2007 | $27.03 | $41.97 | $25.27 | 2,670 |
| 2008 | $28.15 | $42.09 | $26.49 | 2,660 |
| 2009 | $28.66 | $43.01 | $27.24 | 2,390 |
| 2010 | $30.59 | $45.16 | $27.90 | 2,400 |
| 2011 | $32.13 | $45.99 | $28.94 | 2,550 |
| 2012 | $33.03 | $46.32 | $30.41 | 2,740 |
| 2013 | $32.83 | $45.37 | $30.85 | 2,280 |
| 2014 | $33.85 | $46.03 | $31.70 | 2,100 |
| 2015 | $34.92 | $47.43 | $31.95 | 2,200 |
| 2016 | $35.62 | $47.78 | $32.70 | 2,230 |
| 2017 | $37.36 | $49.07 | $33.36 | 1,960 |
| 2018 | $40.09 | $51.40 | $34.09 | 2,020 |
| 2019 | $40.73 | $51.29 | $34.86 | 2,110 |
| 2020 | $39.42 | $49.04 | $36.07 | 2,290 |
| 2021 | $46.36 | $55.08 | $37.65 | 2,250 |
| 2022 | $48.19 | $53.01 | $39.59 | 2,100 |
| 2023 | $49.21 | $51.99 | $41.07 | 2,150 |
| 2024 | $50.20 | $51.52 | $44.50 | 2,540 |
| 2025 | $50.88 | $50.88 | $45.83 | 2,520 |
In today's dollars, the median lineman wage in Wisconsin changed by +7.3% over the last ten years of data and by -0.8% since 2019.
Are there more lineman jobs in Wisconsin?
BLS counted 2,520 linemen in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
Wisconsin's labor market agency projects the number of linemen in the state to change by +13.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,560 to 2,900, with about 240 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +10.3% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,520 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Wisconsin?
Keep comparing
Lineman pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Wisconsin
More on Wisconsin
Questions this page answers
How much do linemen make in Wisconsin?
The median lineman in Wisconsin earned $50.88 an hour ($105,820 a year) in May 2025, 11% above the national median of $45.83. The middle half earn $39.50–$53.92; the top 10% earn more than $57.62.
Where does Wisconsin rank for lineman pay?
Wisconsin ranks 17th of 51 states for lineman pay, with a median of $50.88 an hour, and 11th after adjusting for Wisconsin's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.1, US = 100).
What is the union lineman rate in Wisconsin?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a lineman classification for most Wisconsin counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many linemen work in Wisconsin?
BLS counted 2,520 linemen in Wisconsin in May 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.02; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is lineman work growing in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's labor market agency projects +13.5% growth for linemen between 2024 and 2034, from 2,560 to 2,900 jobs.
How many lineman openings a year are there in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin projects about 240 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, Wisconsin 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: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.