Lineworker Minnesota

Education and Training

You can get training for the job from one of the community colleges in Minnesota. The way it works is that you apply to a technical school, then the company hires you, pays you and sends you to school part-time for four years. At the end of your training, there’s an exam. If you pass it, congratulations! You’re a lineworker.

Now that we’ve covered all that, let’s look at some of the ways this position might not be right for you.

On The Job

As a lineworker, you’ll work with electrical wires and power lines. It’s a job for the brave: as well as working long hours, sometimes in bad weather, you’ll also be working at height or in trenches. You’ll need to take care when working with power lines and you may be required to work nights or weekends. The salary is good but the working day can be stressful.

Industry and Certification

There is a critical shortage of lineworkers in Minnesota.

That’s right. Lineworker. The people who build and maintain power lines to keep the lights on (and your cell phone charged) are currently in short supply, meaning there are good opportunities for employment in this industry.

In addition to being well-paid, lineworkers are also trained for free at some of the most state-of-the-art facilities in the country, which means you’ll be learning on equipment that employers use today—not yesterday’s worn out parts and tools no one uses anymore.

Benefits and Salary

Salary

The salary for line workers ranges from $53,000 on the low end up to about $95,000 on the high end. There are two main factors that affect salary: how much experience a worker has and what union they belong to. Starting out, most lineworkers are paid a wage rather than an hourly wage. As they progress in their training and become “journeymen” in their profession, they earn a set wage each year. Typically union workers earn higher wages than non-union workers. This is because unions provide better benefits to their members, including medical coverage and pensions.

Benefits

All lineworkers receive health insurance benefits at no cost to them or their families. These benefits include medical, dental and vision care as well as life insurance. Some companies also pay a portion of the costs if employees have dependents who need these same benefits but do not work at the company themselves

Lineworkers are front line heroes in our state. If you want to be one, we can get you there.

Career-wise, Minnesota has no shortage of options for you. If you’re the type who enjoys working with your hands and helping out others, lineworker could be a great choice. Lineworkers are needed all across the state to help maintain and install electrical power lines. As an essential part of keeping people’s lights on, lineworkers are front line heroes in our state who also can enjoy a great salary and benefits package.

Companies typically train their own workers, but if you want to get started as quickly as possible it’s best to get some experience under your belt first. This way, when jobs do come up companies will know right away that they don’t have to spend time teaching you the ropes—you’ll already be trained and ready to go!

The easiest way to get certified is through apprenticeship programs offered by labor unions, private companies or community colleges like Anoka Technical College in Coon Rapids which offers training over two years at its St Francis campus location located nearby downtown Minneapolis (it also runs classes during evenings so students can still work full time jobs). You can also learn about how these programs work by visiting their website here.

After completing your apprenticeship, it’s time for you apply at local electrical utility companies like Xcel Energy where we have openings throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin (you’ll need three years of job experience before applying).