Career at a Glance

Home

Power Lineman

Substation

Resources

Forms & Applications

Web Services

Where will you find work?

Wherever you find outdoor power lines, you’ll find opportunities for journeymen linemen. Your journeyman lineman card is recognized nationwide.

Career at a Glance

As a journeyman lineman, you’ll be involved in the construction and maintenance of overhead and underground power lines. You'll learn the skills needed to work on substations and switchyards, as well as distribution and transmission circuits up to 500,000 volts.

What type of education do you need?

You’ll need more than a GED/high school diploma to begin a career as a journeyman lineman. Because of the skills and knowledge required, post secondary training and/or an apprenticeship through organizations like the California-Nevada JATC Program is a must.

What skills and knowledge are needed?

Your success as a journeyman lineman will be dependent on your knowledge of electricity, physical strength and stamina, ability to work at heights in nearly all weather conditions, and technical capacity to understand drawings and diagrams. The California-Nevada Power Lineman Apprenticeship Program is the best and most respected way to learn these skills.

What types of certification are needed?

Journeymen linemen may be required to have an IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) ticket, CPR training ,OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) certification and other credentials. Your apprenticeship training program will prepare you for these certifications.

What are your career prospects as a journeyman lineman?

With proper training and ongoing education, journeymen linemen can advance to supervisory positions. Some may go into teaching/training or manage their own electrical contracting business. In addition, throughout the training process and on-the-job experience, you’ll be learning valuable skills which you can put to good use in your future. These include interpersonal communications, supervision, project management and teamwork skills.

How much will you make?

Journeymen linemen have the potential to make a minimum of $80,000 per year based on experience and workload. That’s in addition to the attractive benefit packages journeymen lineman receive. You’ll begin earning that wage when you start your apprenticeship training program.

What is the job outlook?

Currently there is a nationwide shortage of trained journeymen lineman, so prospects look good. Your experience at the California-Nevada JATC Program assures potential employers of your capabilities.