Billy Lang, a 33-year-old resident of New Milford, Connecticut, is a Class B Journeyman Lineman who works tirelessly to maintain the nation’s power grid. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), there are approximately 120,000 linemen like Lang who oversee 450,000 miles of powerlines, 180 million utility poles, and 2.7 million transmission towers across the United States.
Lang describes his job as great for those who enjoy working outdoors and are comfortable with heights. With electricity demand projected to increase by about a third in the next decade, there is a pressing need for at least 20,000 more young linemen like Lang to expand and upgrade the power grid nationwide.
While being a lineman requires extensive training and hard work, it also offers substantial financial rewards. The median annual salary for linemen in 2023 was $80,000 or around $41.50 per hour (excluding overtime and emergency responses). Lineman Central provides an online platform that connects prospective electrical workers with over 190 training programs utilized by utilities and contractors across the country.
Five years ago, Lang worked as an emergency room technician but found little satisfaction in that role. However, after learning about becoming a lineman from a coworker whose son pursued this career path successfully, he decided to enroll in the Lineman Institute of the North East (LINE) in Kingston, New York.
After completing his apprenticeship with Eversource – New England’s largest electrical utility – six months ago as a Class B lineman or journeyman lineman; he emphasizes that attracting new talent is crucial due to an aging workforce’s attrition.
Bill Bosch from Northwest Lineman College highlights how electricity demand remained relatively stable until recent surges exposed shortages of electricians and linemen needed for grid expansion plans. He believes that trades such as line work now offer excellent compensation packages along with opportunities for personal growth.
Northwest Lineman College offers courses nationwide where individuals with high school degrees can enroll after passing fitness requirements. Bosch likens attending “line school” to obtaining a college degree due to its combination of four years of theoretical study and on-the-job training.
Being a lineman goes beyond just having technical skills; it requires selflessness and prioritizing public safety above all else according to Bosch. Although they often arrive at hazardous situations before police or fire departments can intervene during emergencies; they are not classified as first responders—an oversight addressed by proposed legislation called the Linemen Legacy Act co-sponsored by Reps Clay Higgins (R-La.) and Donald Norcross (D-N.J.).
Bosch also emphasizes that women should consider pursuing careers as lineworkers since some of America’s best linemen are female—a fact reflected in their own Hall of Fame located in Shelby North Carolina.
Lineworkers often travel extensively on short notice following natural disasters such as hurricanes or ice storms where they rebuild downed power lines while forming lasting relationships within their tight-knit community across different regions.
As for Billy Lang himself; he primarily works Monday through Thursday from 6 am until 4 pm across western Connecticut replacing outdated transmission lines with sturdier ones capable of resisting tree damage caused by storms—often requiring police escorts due to traffic control measures implemented during these projects.