Texas licenses journeyman linemen through TDLR. You get there through an apprenticeship approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, or years of lineman work.
Facts from the official pages, checked October 26, 2026. Rules change: confirm on the linked page before you apply.
An apprenticeship is a paid job with training, and your pay goes up as you learn.
Check their site for when applications open
Lineman · 7,000 work hours plus 3 years of classes
IBEW Local 220 · Southwestern Line Constructors JATC (SWLCAT)
You'll need: 18 or older, Class A CDL, $30 application fee per area, pass the ETA aptitude test before the interview; apply online
Check their site for when applications open
Lineman · 7,000 work hours plus 3 years of classes
IBEW Local 66 · Southwestern Line Constructors JATC (SWLCAT)
You'll need: 18 or older, Class A CDL, $30 application fee per area, pass the ETA aptitude test before the interview; apply online
What linemen do all day, the training and the pay nationwide, in about 90 seconds.
Video from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Tap CC on the player for captions. On CareerOneStop ↗
A paid apprenticeship approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. TDLR counts 7,000 hours of it toward the license.
Jobs that list this level: 1 in Texas
Issued by TDLR
After the apprenticeship (or 3.5 years as a lineman in Texas), apply and pass a state exam. $30 application.
| Where | Middle half (25th–75th) | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | $29.97 – $49.02 | $39.77 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | $28.55 – $47.24 | $37.46 |
| San Antonio | $28.08 – $45.25 | $37.52 |
| Austin | $29.34 – $47.90 | $39.48 |
| All of Texas | $28.92 – $47.65 | $37.95 |
An hour, for all workers in the occupation, not by license level. BLS: “Someone new to the field may expect wages near the 10th or 25th percentile, whereas those with more experience and education could expect wages near the 75th or 90th percentile.” BLS
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers). bls.gov/oes
U.S. Department of Labor and the Texas Workforce Commission
An apprenticeship is a paid job with classes. Texas helps pay for the classes, but programs may still charge an application fee, tuition or books.
Texas Workforce Commission
If you qualify, your local Workforce Solutions board can pay a school for an approved training program. Each board sets its own limit, and money depends on its budget.
Office of the Texas Governor
Federal student aid for short-term programs. Texas's first approved programs include HVAC and machining at Weatherford College, welding at Texas Southmost College and electric power technology at Kilgore College. Ask the college's financial aid office how to apply.
the mikeroweWORKS Foundation
A scholarship for trade school programs of two years or less. You'll need a tuition bill from your school, a short video and references.
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Jobs that list this level: 1 in Texas
We're not connected with the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. Apply on their site.
Checked Oct 2026 from each program's own site. Amounts and rules can change; their page has the final word.