Electrical Lineworkers in the Watertown area earn a median of $104,410 a year, 8% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #79 of 260 metros for electrical lineworker salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Utica and Syracuse.
It's one of 9 New York metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide electrical lineworker pay.
Electrical Lineworker pay in Watertown at a glance
- Electrical lineworkers in the Watertown, NY metro earn a median $104,410 a year ($50.20 an hour), #79 of 260 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $67,520 and $134,290.
- After local prices, that median buys what $119,067 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,111 a month, 13% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among electrical lineworkers in Watertown.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for electrical lineworkers here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.5%) and the population is shrinking (-3.9% since 2020).
Watertown scorecard for electrical lineworkers Our calculation
Grades compare Watertown 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 Watertown area went from $96,480 in 2021 to $104,410 in 2025, up 8.2%. Prices rose 19% over the same period, so after inflation that's -9.4% — a real pay cut. Some years are missing because BLS redrew or didn't publish this metro.
BLS OEWS, May 2021–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 Watertown Our calculation
Prices in the Watertown area run 12% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $119,067 would in a typical place, ranking #45 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 Watertown 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 New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
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 NY metros for electrical lineworkers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiryas JoelNEW YORK · NY | $135,400 | $123,741 | 240 |
| AlbanyNEW YORK · NY | $127,580 | $128,136 | 460 |
| BinghamtonNEW YORK · NY | $127,170 | $136,944 | 100 |
| SyracuseNEW YORK · NY | $124,970 | $130,528 | 250 |
| UticaNEW YORK · NY | $123,700 | $133,473 | 120 |
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $122,480 | $108,810 | 3,850 |
| BuffaloNEW YORK · NY | $109,350 | $114,092 | 270 |
| RochesterNEW YORK · NY | $105,110 | $108,322 | 310 |
| WatertownNEW YORK · NY | $104,410 | $119,067 | 50 |
See every metro in New York.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Watertown area's unemployment rate was 4.5% in 2025 (all workers, not just electrical lineworkers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Watertown area is 20 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 79% drive alone, 1% take transit and 7% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Watertown area's population shrank 3.9% from 2020 to 2025 (116,075 → 111,540), ranking #383 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -7,875).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Watertown are up 79% from 2021 to 2025 (161 → 288).
In 2025 the Watertown area approved permits for 288 new homes (226 single-family), or 2.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #260 of 393 metros.
Working outdoors in Watertown Government data
In an average year, Watertown has 2 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 151 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 87 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 77°F and winter nights 13°F. That matters for electrical lineworkers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Watertown International Airport, NY station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $104,410 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 Watertown with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for electrical lineworkersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in WatertownSee where it falls among local electrical lineworkers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolWatertown budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Watertown 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 Watertown 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.