Electrical Lineworkers in the Cleveland area earn a median of $93,910 a year, 3% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #147 of 260 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Knoxville, but less in Dalton.
Cleveland scorecard for electrical lineworkers Our calculation
Grades compare Cleveland 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).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Cleveland Our calculation
Prices in the Cleveland area run 12% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $106,619 would in a typical place, ranking #121 of 258 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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.
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 TN metros for electrical lineworkers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| KnoxvilleTENNESSEE · TN | $99,780 | $107,790 | 440 |
| MemphisTENNESSEE · TN | $97,150 | $105,393 | 340 |
| Johnson CityTENNESSEE · TN | $96,530 | $109,783 | 40 |
| ClevelandTENNESSEE · TN | $93,910 | $106,619 | 60 |
| MorristownTENNESSEE · TN | $92,250 | $106,815 | 50 |
| ClarksvilleTENNESSEE · TN | $83,760 | $92,098 | 140 |
| NashvilleTENNESSEE · TN | $83,230 | $86,394 | 1,260 |
| JacksonTENNESSEE · TN | $80,940 | $94,642 | 110 |
| KingsportTENNESSEE · TN | $78,860 | $91,224 | 110 |
| ChattanoogaTENNESSEE · TN | $78,240 | $85,542 | 550 |
See every metro in Tennessee.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Cleveland area's unemployment rate was 3.8% in 2025 (all workers, not just electrical lineworkers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.3% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Cleveland area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 82% drive alone, 0% take transit and 6% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
New-home permits in Cleveland are up 19% from 2021 to 2025 (790 → 938).
In 2025 the Cleveland area approved permits for 938 new homes (844 single-family), or 7.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #71 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $93,910 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
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 Cleveland with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for electrical lineworkers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.