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

New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire, 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire

Linemans in New Hampshire are hired by utilities, line construction contractors, cooperatives and municipal power companies. The metros with the most of that work are Manchester, Nashua and Concord. Employers who could not hire locally and have filed with the Department of Labor are on the New Hampshire openings page.

For the money side: the median lineman in New Hampshire earned $115,430 a year ($56 an hour) in May 2024 across 400 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and New Hampshire has no state income tax on wages. What that leaves you after tax is its own page.

Everything about New Hampshire, on one page

The New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire employers hiring from out of state.