Statewide pay Government data
Electrical lineworkers in West Virginia earn a statewide median of $83,810 a year, 13% below the typical U.S. metro, ranking #37 of 50 states and DC. About 1,260 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near West Virginia
See all states on the electrical lineworkers nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes electrical lineworker pay for 3 West Virginia metros: Wheeling, Huntington and Morgantown.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| WheelingWEST VIRGINIA · WV | $108,060 | $122,346 | 140 |
| HuntingtonWEST VIRGINIA · WV | $79,810 | $90,260 | 290 |
| MorgantownWEST VIRGINIA · WV | $79,290 | $84,963 | 170 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for West Virginia's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,900 openings a year. Typical training: long-term on-the-job training.
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.
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.
Registered apprenticeships Government data
Of electrical lineworker apprentices in West Virginia who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 53% completed (U.S.: 68%), about 25 graduates a year. The typical program runs 8,000 hours, about 4 years of full-time work. Search open registered programs near you on the official Apprenticeship Finder.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
Where to train in West Virginia Government data
11 schools in West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Rumsey Technical Institute Martinsburg, WV · Public | Certificate | $19,912 | 28 | — |
| Cabell County Career Technology Center Huntington, WV · Public | Certificate | $9,129 | 23 | — |
| Fayette Institute of Technology Oak Hill, WV · Public | Certificate | $10,478 | 16 | — |
| Fred W Eberle Technical Center Buckhannon, WV · Public | Certificate | $5,397 | 14 | — |
| New River Community and Technical College Beaver, WV · Public | Certificate | $11,796 | 13 | — |
| Carver Career Center Charleston, WV · Public | Certificate | $10,042 | 12 | — |
| Mercer County Technical Education Center Princeton, WV · Public | Certificate | $13,611 | 10 | — |
| Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Martinsburg, WV · Public | Associate degree | $13,582 | 1 | — |
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.
Licensing in West Virginia Official source
The main state licensing office in West Virginia is the West Virginia Division of Labor. It can point you to the right license for electrical lineworkers.
Official West Virginia licensing site ↗
Requirements for electrical lineworkers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 8.5% of wage and salary workers in West Virginia were union members, below the U.S. rate of about 10% (#26 of 51 states and D.C.), and 9.1% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only electrical lineworkers.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in West Virginia
All trades in West Virginia.