Journeyman Lineman Salary: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
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The median annual wage for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $123,430 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers in this occupation and area earned between $105,930 and $128,160. This is the broader occupation used for Journeyman Lineman, not a separately surveyed rate for that title or credential.
Broader occupation Our title "Journeyman Lineman" is reported by BLS as SOC 49-9051 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers. BLS groups Journeyman Lineman within Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
For Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051), the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN annual median is $28,110 above the national median of $95,320 (29.5%).
Annual wages: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051)
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, annual wages: 10% earned less than $72,820, half earned less than the median of $123,430, 90% earned less than $131,760 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $72,820 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $105,930 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $123,430 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $128,160 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $131,760 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $112,230 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051)
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $35.01, half earned less than the median of $59.34, 90% earned less than $63.35 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35.01 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $50.93 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $59.34 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $61.62 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $63.35 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $53.96 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
National comparison
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $51,470 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $67,270 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $95,320 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $109,740 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $128,690 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $91,970 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-9051 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What BLS wages measure. OEWS estimates describe straight-time gross wages, not just base salary and not total compensation. They include commissions and production bonuses. They exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. Discuss travel, per diem, tool and truck allowances separately. Percentiles describe the occupation's wage distribution, not seniority, plant size, job complexity or credentials. Licensing, union agreements and prevailing-wage obligations depend on the work and assignment; these figures do not establish a premium for them.
Official BLS wage definitions | Source dates and methodology
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Other markets
These are other target markets with published figures, not nearby areas.
All Journeyman Lineman figures | All roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Line Foreman (47-1011)Line General Foreman (47-1011)Utility Construction Superintendent (11-9021)What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman), the published median for SOC 49-9051, Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, is $123,430 per year. The middle half of the Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) wage distribution runs from $105,930 to $128,160, a width of $22,230 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
Against the United States estimate, the Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) median is $28,110 above the national median of $95,320. For Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051), Niles, MI reports $99,850 per year, $23,580 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN; For Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051), Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI reports $109,000 per year, $14,430 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The neighbors used for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) are the nearest metro representative points with a released median, using Census geography, not a commuting or cost-of-living adjustment.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, read alongside Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman), are Natural Gas Distribution at $137,360 per year (NAICS 221200); Repair and Maintenance at $106,460 per year (NAICS 811000); Utilities at $103,060 per year (NAICS 22). Those Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) median was $114,030 per year in May 2024, compared with $123,430 in May 2025, a published difference of $9,400. That Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $114,030 and $123,430 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before using $123,430 per year from Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) to calibrate an offer, separate overtime, per diem, lodging and mobilization separately; prevailing wage obligations and union scale depend on the assignment and agreement, not a special BLS traveling-worker percentile. The Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) BLS comparison measures straight-time gross wages, including commissions and production bonuses, but excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) is broader: BLS groups Journeyman Lineman within Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. When calibrating a Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) opening, the work checks include Journeyman card from DOL-registered apprenticeship; CDL A; ask for evidence of that scope instead of using a percentile as a substitute for qualification. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) buyer?
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) has a published middle-half band of $105,930 to $128,160, a width of $22,230 per year, with median $123,430. An offer inside that Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman)?
Niles, MI and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI are the nearest published metro reference points used for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman). Comparing those Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers tables with the $123,430 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman)?
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) uses national industry rows for SOC 49-9051, not local sector-specific wages. Natural Gas Distribution leads the selected sortable rows at $137,360 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman).
What changed between the releases for Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman)?
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) moved from $114,030 in May 2024 to $123,430 in May 2025. These Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9051) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Journeyman Lineman) published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 49-9051. Published annual median: $114,030 (May 2024) and $123,430 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.