Electrical Power-Line Worker Apprenticeship in Illinois

Wages, programs & career outlook

Electrical power-line workers install and repair the high-voltage lines that carry electricity from power plants to homes and businesses. Expect outdoor work in all weather, bucket trucks, climbing gear, and being on call for storm-damage restoration.

IL Median Salary
$105,970/yr
+14% vs. national
National Median
$92,560/yr
IL Employment
3,670
Electrical Power-Line Workers employed
IL Sponsors
12
Registered programs
Training Term
3.5 yrs
Time-Based
Job Growth
6.6%
2024–2034 projected
Annual Openings
10,700
Nationally, per yr

Electrical Power-Line Worker Apprenticeship in Illinois: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered electrical power-line worker apprenticeship in Illinois combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 3.5 years and follow a time-based structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.

Illinois pay vs. national

Median electrical power-line worker wages in Illinois are $105,970/year, +14% above the national median of $92,560. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

Illinois has 12 registered apprenticeship sponsors for electrical power-line worker listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.

Job-market outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6.6% job growth for electrical power-line workers nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 10,700 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — Illinois-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

Illinois Wage Spread

Annual wages for Electrical Power-Line Workers in Illinois across all experience levels.

10th pct
$62,670
Median
$105,970
90th pct
$123,050
Middle 50% of workers earn $98,630$115,870

Current Electrical Power-Line Worker Apprenticeship Openings in Illinois

No electrical power-line worker apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for Illinois. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.

Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.

Electrical Power-Line Worker Apprenticeship Sponsors in Illinois

12 electrical power-line worker-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for Illinois. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current electrical power-line worker apprenticeship openings.

Organization City County
Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative Auburn
Corn Belt Energy Corp. & IBEW Local 51 JAC Linemen Bloomington Mclean County
Corn Belt Energy Corporation Bloomington
Spoon River Electric Cooperative Canton
Western Illinois Electrical Coop. Carthage
Ameren Illinois Linemen Apprenticeship LU 702 & 309 Decatur Macon County
Ameren Illinois Utility Linemen Apprenticeship Local 51 Decatur Macon County
Wolf Line Construction Galena Jo Daviess County
Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative Paxton Ford County
Shelby Electric Cooperative Shelbyville
AIEC/IREAP Springfield Sangamon County
Illinois Electric Cooperative Winchester
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Electrical Power-Line Worker openings

Filter by occupation code 49-9051 and state IL for the most relevant results.

Electrical Power-Line Worker Apprenticeship in Illinois

Apprenticeship seekers in Illinois can contact any of 12 trade-specific sponsors our directory surfaces. Coverage is reasonable in urban centers, thinner in rural regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Electrical Power-Line Worker salary in Illinois?
Electrical Power-Line Workers in Illinois earn a median salary of $105,970/yr according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024). This is above the national median of $92,560 for the trade.
How many years does it take to become an Electrical Power-Line Worker through apprenticeship?
A typical Electrical Power-Line Worker apprenticeship lasts approximately 4 years (7,000 hours of on-the-job training). The program combines paid work experience with related classroom instruction.
Is an apprenticeship better than trade school for Electrical Power-Line Workers?
Apprenticeships offer paid training with no tuition, while trade school requires upfront costs but may be shorter. Many Electrical Power-Line Workers combine both — starting with trade school basics before entering an apprenticeship.
How do I find an Electrical Power-Line Worker apprenticeship in Illinois?
Contact one of the 12 Electrical Power-Line Worker-adjacent registered sponsors in Illinois (listed below), or search apprenticeship.gov for current openings. Local union halls, community colleges, and the state apprenticeship agency are good first stops.
Do Electrical Power-Line Worker apprentices get paid during training?
Apprentices are paid employees from the start. In Illinois, a first-year Electrical Power-Line Worker apprentice might earn around $52,985/yr (roughly half the $105,970 journeyman median), with scheduled raises throughout the 4-year program.

Prefer Trade School Instead?

Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Electrical Power-Line Workers also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.

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Electrical Power-Line Worker in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in Illinois

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024, DOL RAPIDS Registered Apprenticeship database, ApprenticeshipUSA Sponsor Directory.