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.
131,070 people do this job in the US. $95,320 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 2%
- 0%
- 98%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 2%. Today's estimate: 2%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 23 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.Done daily by most who do it. | 14% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Dig holes, using augers, and set poles, using cranes and power equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 13% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Replace or straighten damaged poles.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 9% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 1.3 work days | Stays with people | |
| String wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension.Done daily by most who do it. | 9% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 1 work day | Stays with people | |
| Travel in trucks, helicopters, and airplanes to inspect lines for freedom from obstruction and adequacy of insulation.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Attach cross-arms, insulators, and auxiliary equipment to poles prior to installing them.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Install watt-hour meters and connect service drops between power lines and consumers' facilities.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Trim trees that could be hazardous to the functioning of cables or wires.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 3% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Splice or solder cables together or to overhead transmission lines, customer service lines, or street light lines, using hand tools, epoxies, or specialized equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers1% now, 1% by 2028
- Helpers--Electricians1% now, 1% by 2028
- Electricians13% now, 17% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay19% now, 19% by 2028
- Hoist and Winch Operators0% now, 0% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment8% now, 8% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).