Electrical Lineworkers in the Durham area earn a median of $71,400 a year, 26% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #243 of 260 metros for electrical lineworker salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Greensboro and Raleigh, but less in Fayetteville.
It's one of 12 North Carolina metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide electrical lineworker pay.
Electrical Lineworker pay in Durham at a glance
- Electrical lineworkers in the Durham, NC metro earn a median $71,400 a year ($34.33 an hour), #243 of 260 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $48,220 and $103,990.
- After local prices, that median buys what $73,177 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,505 a month, 25% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among electrical lineworkers in Durham.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for electrical lineworkers here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.4%) and the population is growing faster than most (+7.5% since 2020).
Durham scorecard for electrical lineworkers Our calculation
Grades compare Durham with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($96,805).
Pay over time
The median pay for electrical lineworkers in the Durham area went from $72,330 in 2020 to $71,400 in 2025, down 1.3%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -21.3% — a real pay cut. Some years are missing because BLS redrew or didn't publish this metro.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Durham Our calculation
Prices in the Durham area run 2% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $73,177 would in a typical place, ranking #245 of 258 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a Durham budget on this pay from this pay, local rent and prices.
What electrical lineworkers do
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
- Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
- Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
- Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
- Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, electrical lineworker jobs are projected to grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 10,900 openings a year. About 0% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often electrical lineworkers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in North Carolina Official source
The main state licensing office in North Carolina is the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Electrical and plumbing/HVAC have their own state boards. It can point you to the right license for electrical lineworkers.
Official North Carolina licensing site ↗
Requirements for electrical lineworkers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, electrical lineworkers have 177 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 2.0× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying NC metros for electrical lineworkers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| WinstonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $98,720 | $107,254 | 110 |
| GoldsboroNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $85,900 | $97,104 | 40 |
| CharlotteNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $81,740 | $83,967 | 1,130 |
| AshevilleNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $80,220 | $83,124 | 150 |
| GreensboroNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $79,190 | $85,274 | 190 |
| RaleighNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $78,930 | $80,412 | 550 |
| DurhamNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $71,400 | $73,177 | 230 |
| HickoryNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $71,290 | $80,566 | 190 |
| FayettevilleNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $65,140 | $70,821 | 270 |
| WilmingtonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $63,630 | $65,991 | 230 |
See every metro in North Carolina.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Durham area's unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just electrical lineworkers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Durham area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 12% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 64% drive alone, 3% take transit and 20% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Durham area's population grew 7.5% from 2020 to 2025 (582,060 → 625,485), ranking #60 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +35,472) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Durham are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (5,900 → 6,100).
In 2025 the Durham area approved permits for 6,100 new homes (3,751 single-family), or 10.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #29 of 393 metros.
Working outdoors in Durham Government data
In an average year, Durham has 34 days at 90°F or hotter (about typical; typical metro 33), 71 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 76 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 86°F and winter nights 32°F. That matters for electrical lineworkers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Durham 11 W, NC station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Where to train near Durham Government data
2 schools in or near Durham offer electrical and power line installer programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham Technical Community College Durham, NC · Public | Certificate | $10,327 | 18 | — |
| Durham Technical Community College Durham, NC · Public | Associate degree | $10,327 | 6 | — |
| Piedmont Community College Roxboro, NC · Public | Certificate | $14,116 | — | — |
| Piedmont Community College Roxboro, NC · Public | Associate degree | $14,116 | — | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $71,400 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get electrical lineworker pricing & estimate templates →Compare Durham with another city →
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ToolCheck an offer in DurhamSee where it falls among local electrical lineworkers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolDurham budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Durham metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Durham against every other metro for electrical lineworkers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for electrical lineworkers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.