Electricity distribution technician
Also called lineman, linesman, linewoman
Electricity distribution technicians construct and maintain electric power transmission and distribution systems. They maintain and repair powerlines, compliant with safety regulations.
What you'd do
Electrical line installers and repairers · ILO- Installing and repairing overhead and underground electrical power and electrical traction lines
- Making joints in overhead and underground cables
- Adhering to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas
- Opening switches or attaching grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs
- Climbing poles or using truck-mounted buckets to access equipment
- Identifying defective sectionalizing devices, circuit breakers, fuses, voltage regulators, transformers, switches, relays or wiring, using wiring diagrams and electrical-testing instruments
- Mostly outdoors
- On your feet most of the day
- Constant contact with people, including the public
- Good freedom to decide
- Often more than 40 hours a week
- Deadlines most weeks
- Some repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospects13 EU countries are short of electrical line installers and repairers now, and a typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
About averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,200 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,600 (Denmark), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among craft and related trades workers in the EU, women earn 26% less per hour than men. Craft and related trades workers · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Upper secondary or vocationalUpper secondary or vocational training in electricity and energy is the usual route.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
Very littleAI could help with only small parts of the tasks.
Average task score 0.15 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 6 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for electrical line installers and repairers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).