Power Lineman Career

What's a Journeyman Lineman?


Journeymen linemen build and maintain electrical power systems. They do all the work from the point of generation (power plants) all the way to the customer’s meter. The lines may be on overhead structures (up to 300′) or in underground vaults or trenches. They may be in rural and metropolitan areas. Linemen also do work on traffic signals and street lights. The work is varied and exciting.

Job Description

The duties of an outside lineman are listed below. Tasks within each of the duties are included in the job description if they are performed by at least 10 percent of the journeymen surveyed. Tasks are described as daily, weekly, monthly, or occasionally based upon the responses of a majority of journeymen in the position.

Duties include Planning and Initiating Projects, Establishing OSHA and Customer Safety Requirements, Setting of Towers, Poles, Maintaining and Repairing Overhead Distribution or Transmission Lines, Stringing New Wire or Maintaining Old Wire, Installing and Maintaining Insulators, Installing and Maintaining Transformers and Other Equipment, Supervising Groundmen and Apprentices, Installing and Maintaining an Underground Distribution Systems, Assembly and Erection of Substation, Installing and Maintaining Traffic Signals and Outdoor Lighting, Tree Trimming, and Use of Tools.

Being a journeyman lineman is really a combination of jobs – part engineer, part project manager, part equipment operator and part mechanic. Your apprenticeship training program will prepare you for all aspects of this exciting and rewarding career.

Heavy Equipment

One of the job requirements is operating heavy equipment such as digger derricks, aerial lifts, backhoes, dump trucks, tensioners, pullers and cranes.

Training and certification for these types of industrial equipment is part of our apprenticeship program and part of on-the-job experience.

Our IBEW/NECA program provides supervision and training which prepares you for your future as a journeyman lineman.

Tools of the Trade

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.

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 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 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 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 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.

Tools of the Trade

Because the job of an outside journeyman lineman is so varied, so is the list of tools you’ll be using. Your apprenticeship training program will introduce you to the safe and proper use of hand tools, power-assisted tools, heavy equipment and industry-specific tools.

Power-Assisted Tools

  • Hand drills
  • Roto stripper
  • Gas-operated auger
  • Air hammer
  • Coring machine
  • Hydraulic bender
  • Electric screw gun
  • Fiber optic fusion splicer
  • Electric roto drill hammer
  • Air compressor

Hand Tools

In addition to the standard hand tools you’ll find in most tool boxes, journeymen linemen will use a variety of hand tools specific to their job responsibilities.

These include a hammer, pliers (long nose pliers on underground jobs), folding ruler, 12″ crescent wrench, screwdriver, skinning knife, body belt, safety strap and climbers.

Hot Sticks

(specialized tools for handling power lines)

  • Switch stick
  • Universal gripall stick
  • Link stick
  • Auxiliary arm stick
  • Wire tongs
  • Lever lift
  • Gin pole

Climbing Tools

  • Safety belt
  • Body belt
  • Climbers
  • Climbing boots

Meters

Outside Lineman are required to understand electrical theory and application. Many times this knowledge is used in conjunction with readings from technical meters used in the industry.

Meter Training

Contractors provide power quality meters, voltage meters and other technical instruments of all kinds, such as Voltmeter, Ampmeter, Wattmeter, Oscilloscope, Optical power meter, Dynamometer, and Rotation meter

Your job as an outside lineman may require the ability to record electrical measurements and perform calculations used to determine the scope and cost of job installations.