# Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

> Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.

- **SOC code:** 49-9051.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9051-00
- **Also known as:** Electrical Lineman, Lineworker, Power Lineman, Service Man, Class Gloving Electrical Lineman, Class Rubber Gloving Lineman, Electrical Lineworker, Power Lineman Technician
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
- Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
- Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
- Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
- Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
- Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.
- Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers.
- Replace or straighten damaged poles.
- String wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension.
- Attach cross-arms, insulators, and auxiliary equipment to poles prior to installing them.
- Dig holes, using augers, and set poles, using cranes and power equipment.
- Travel in trucks, helicopters, and airplanes to inspect lines for freedom from obstruction and adequacy of insulation.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Finger Dexterity _(ability)_
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Systems Analysis _(Specialized Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Bentley MicroStation _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Zoom _(hot technology)_
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Email software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Global positioning system GPS software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 14th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 15th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 3rd percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 34th percentile (Moderate) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 28th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 6.6% growth (About average); 10.7k annual openings; 127.4k → 135.8k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $92,560; 123,680 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

---
_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9051-00_