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Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers. Excludes "Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay" (49-2095).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116,650 | 2.0 % | $33.04 | $68,710 | 0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $18.08 | $25.04 | $33.36 | $41.05 | $48.01 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $37,600 | $52,070 | $69,380 | $85,370 | $99,860 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 54,910 | 14.09 | $35.51 | $73,850 |
| Utility System Construction | 33,500 | 6.58 | $29.68 | $61,730 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | 14,110 | 0.26 | $30.36 | $63,150 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 5,750 | 0.28 | $30.80 | $64,050 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 1,920 | 0.09 | $39.03 | $81,170 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 54,910 | 14.09 | $35.51 | $73,850 |
| Utility System Construction | 33,500 | 6.58 | $29.68 | $61,730 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 5,750 | 0.28 | $30.80 | $64,050 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | 14,110 | 0.26 | $30.36 | $63,150 |
| Rail Transportation | 250 | 0.11 | $33.09 | $68,840 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas Distribution | (8) | (8) | $45.94 | $95,550 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | 120 | 0.01 | $44.19 | $91,920 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 1,920 | 0.09 | $39.03 | $81,170 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 60 | 0.01 | $37.78 | $78,580 |
| Water, Sewage and Other Systems | (8) | (8) | $35.63 | $74,110 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 11,110 | 0.93 | 1.14 | $26.72 | $55,580 |
| California | 7,070 | 0.42 | 0.52 | $46.04 | $95,760 |
| Georgia | 6,450 | 1.50 | 1.83 | $25.33 | $52,680 |
| Florida | 5,730 | 0.68 | 0.83 | $26.36 | $54,840 |
| New York | 4,750 | 0.52 | 0.63 | $38.43 | $79,930 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 850 | 2.04 | 2.49 | $34.91 | $72,610 |
| South Carolina | 4,110 | 2.04 | 2.50 | $26.62 | $55,360 |
| North Dakota | 820 | 1.97 | 2.41 | $38.26 | $79,590 |
| Alabama | 3,550 | 1.85 | 2.26 | $31.37 | $65,240 |
| Mississippi | 1,980 | 1.77 | 2.16 | $27.71 | $57,630 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 7,070 | 0.42 | 0.52 | $46.04 | $95,760 |
| Oregon | 1,060 | 0.58 | 0.71 | $43.08 | $89,610 |
| Alaska | 380 | 1.20 | 1.47 | $41.64 | $86,610 |
| Massachusetts | 2,920 | 0.83 | 1.01 | $40.77 | $84,800 |
| Washington | 1,670 | 0.52 | 0.64 | $40.53 | $84,300 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 3,930 | 1.50 | 1.83 | $24.73 | $51,440 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 2,950 | 1.17 | 1.43 | $35.20 | $73,210 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,760 | 0.94 | 1.15 | $28.68 | $59,660 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 2,730 | 0.41 | 0.50 | $38.70 | $80,500 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 2,080 | 0.83 | 1.02 | $25.40 | $52,830 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,770 | 0.40 | 0.49 | $46.05 | $95,780 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 1,750 | 0.95 | 1.16 | $41.57 | $86,470 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,480 | 0.77 | 0.94 | $39.08 | $81,290 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 1,480 | 0.40 | 0.49 | $32.12 | $66,810 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,300 | 0.90 | 1.10 | $36.24 | $75,380 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter, SC | 260 | 7.08 | 8.65 | $22.69 | $47,200 |
| Jackson, MS | 900 | 3.41 | 4.17 | $27.51 | $57,220 |
| Amarillo, TX | 380 | 3.35 | 4.09 | $20.58 | $42,800 |
| Morgantown, WV | 180 | 2.81 | 3.44 | $27.56 | $57,320 |
| Rapid City, SD | 180 | 2.73 | 3.34 | $33.55 | $69,790 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 190 | 2.62 | 3.20 | $35.21 | $73,230 |
| Bismarck, ND | 190 | 2.59 | 3.16 | $38.32 | $79,700 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 180 | 2.55 | 3.12 | $28.54 | $59,360 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 120 | 2.51 | 3.07 | $37.36 | $77,700 |
| San Angelo, TX | 110 | 2.44 | 2.98 | $18.64 | $38,770 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division | 470 | 0.42 | 0.51 | $51.08 | $106,250 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 150 | 0.14 | 0.17 | $50.95 | $105,980 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 230 | 0.73 | 0.89 | $48.50 | $100,880 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $47.82 | $99,460 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,770 | 0.40 | 0.49 | $46.05 | $95,780 |
| Salem, OR | 160 | 0.94 | 1.14 | $45.00 | $93,610 |
| Bend-Redmond, OR | 80 | 1.06 | 1.30 | $44.53 | $92,630 |
| Bellingham, WA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $44.52 | $92,590 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | 50 | 0.73 | 0.89 | $44.48 | $92,530 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 400 | 0.25 | 0.30 | $44.47 | $92,500 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 970 | 3.77 | 4.60 | $28.28 | $58,830 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 740 | 2.67 | 3.27 | $35.86 | $74,590 |
| Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 660 | 4.18 | 5.10 | $36.51 | $75,940 |
| West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 540 | 2.85 | 3.48 | $25.25 | $52,520 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 520 | 1.94 | 2.37 | $26.10 | $54,300 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | 510 | 5.67 | 6.93 | $41.05 | $85,380 |
| Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | 210 | 5.31 | 6.49 | $32.76 | $68,140 |
| East Montana nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 4.50 | 5.50 | $37.98 | $79,000 |
| Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 660 | 4.18 | 5.10 | $36.51 | $75,940 |
| West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 250 | 4.16 | 5.08 | $36.12 | $75,130 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.90 | 1.10 | $50.99 | $106,060 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.73 | 0.90 | $50.78 | $105,630 |
| Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 1.58 | 1.93 | $45.18 | $93,970 |
| South Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 1.16 | 1.42 | $44.84 | $93,260 |
| East Washington nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 2.04 | 2.50 | $44.77 | $93,130 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018