Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Electrical Power-Line Tech Salary in Indianapolis
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Electrical · COL Index: 91
Electrical Power-Line Techs in Indianapolis, IN earn a median annual wage of $105,660 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $53,500 and the 90th at $112,270. After cost of living, that translates to $116,110 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (80/100).
What Electrical Power-Line Techs Take Home in Indianapolis
The $58,770 spread between entry-level and top-decile electrical power-line techs in Indianapolis is relatively narrow — about 56% of the median. That tight band usually signals a trade where pay scales primarily with experience rather than employer or specialization. New entrants can expect to climb steadily toward median pay over their first 5-10 years.
Indianapolis's cost-of-living index of 91 sits below the U.S. average, so the $105,660 median wage for electrical power-line techs here actually translates upward — to roughly $116,110 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Below-average rent, groceries, and services mean wages tend to go further here than nominal numbers suggest.
With a Trade Pay Score of 80 (B), electrical power-line techs in Indianapolis land in the strong second tier. Pay, growth, and purchasing power are all solid but one factor — usually wage growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay — keeps the score below the A threshold. For most workers, B-graded combinations are perfectly reasonable career choices.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $53,500 | $58,791 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $77,990 | $85,703 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $105,660 | $116,110 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $108,170 | $118,868 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $112,270 | $123,374 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for electrical power-line techs, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Indianapolis are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Electrical Power-Line Tech make in Indianapolis?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median electrical power-line tech salary in Indianapolis, IN is $105,660. The 10th percentile is $53,500 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $112,270 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Indianapolis pay compare for Electrical Power-Line Techs?
With a Trade Pay Score of 80/100 and a grade of B, the Indianapolis-Electrical Power-Line Tech pairing is a strong combination but with one factor (usually growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay) holding it back from an A grade.
What is the apprenticeship path for Electrical Power-Line Techs in Indianapolis?
Electrical Power-Line Techs typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($53,500) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Electrical Power-Line Tech pay in Indianapolis?
Indianapolis has a cost-of-living index of 91. The median electrical power-line tech salary of $105,660 translates to $116,110 in U.S.-average purchasing power — an upward adjustment because the metro is less expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
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Electrical Power-Line Techs in Indianapolis, IN earn a median annual wage of $105,660 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $53,500 and the 90th at $112,270. After cost of living, that translates to $116,110 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (80/100).
For Electrical Power-Line Techs in Indianapolis, IN, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for Electrical Power-Line Techs in Indianapolis, IN is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.