Lineman in Pennsylvania: licence, certification and what employers require (2026)

4 min read

Pennsylvania does not license linemans: no state licence; utilities and contractors hire on apprenticeship completion and certifications. This page says what a lineman licensed or working in another state has to do to work in Pennsylvania, in the order to do it, and what goes wrong when the order is reversed.

How the transfer works

No state licenses line workers. Journeyman status from a recognised apprenticeship (IBEW, NECA, utility programs) and certifications (CDL, first aid, climbing) transfer to Pennsylvania as they are. Union linemen transfer between locals; storm work moves crews across state lines under mutual aid.

What to have ready before you move

Journeyman certificate from the apprenticeship
CDL (class A is expected)
Union card and travel letter if union

Start the paperwork before you give notice. There is no Pennsylvania licence to wait for, so the only clock is the employer's.

What people get wrong

Not holding a CDL; most line jobs require it
Underestimating storm season demand; it is when hiring happens

Who hires linemans in Pennsylvania

Linemans in Pennsylvania are hired by utilities, line construction contractors, cooperatives and municipal power companies. The metros with the most of that work are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie and Harrisburg. Employers who could not hire locally and have filed with the Department of Labor are on the Pennsylvania openings page.

Plan your move: licence steps for your two states, free

For the money side: the median lineman in Pennsylvania earned $103,750 a year ($50 an hour) in May 2024 across 3,910 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax. What that leaves you after tax is its own page.

Everything about Pennsylvania, on one page

The Pennsylvania page has the registries and boards, the income tax table, the programs that pay you to come and the openings filed this month. If you know which state you are leaving, the move pages compare the two directly. Creating a free Workmerica profile with your trade and your destination puts you in front of Pennsylvania employers hiring from out of state.

Moving for a job?

Tell us your trade and your two states. We send the licence steps and show you to employers hiring from out of state. Free.

What work do you do, and where are you now?

Any trade. Any state.

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