# outside lineman or inside wireman?



## jwimes2 (Jun 26, 2012)

which one has the most job security, has the most job openings, and most of all....which one pays better?


----------



## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Inside lineman and outside wireman are the highest.


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

Apples and oranges


----------



## jefft110 (Jul 7, 2010)

Incense and peppermints.


----------



## MollyHatchet29 (Jan 24, 2012)

Outside vs inside and outside.


----------



## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

A lot of linemen work their entire careers at the same POCO. There's a sense of family for most linemen, not so for inside guys. 

Around here, linemen are paid a bit more than inside guys, but the work is far more brutal. Every time there's a storm, you'll get called, and you'll work outside in the worst possible conditions. 

Linemen have far better equipment than inside guys, and just about any lineman can do just about any type of linework. Inside guys are somewhat more specialized. 

I don't think I've ever heard of a lineman being laid off.

I don't know which is safer; I know very few guys who have been hurt or killed in either trade. 

That's all I can think of at the moment.......


----------



## knowledge29 (Nov 6, 2010)

My brother is a first class lineman, Has never been laid off once in 15years.makes a lot more then inside guys. Journeyman in my area make around 18hr, that is what a ground man makes to start. Harder work but the brotherhood is great. Inside guys that doesn't exist. I'm an inside guy, if it wasn't because of the years I have already put in I would of gone to become a lineman.


----------



## knowledge29 (Nov 6, 2010)

as far as dangerous, Very. Being an inside guy is too depending what your doing. The job of a lineman is usually working hot, above 4160kv.If your a helicopter lineman it's even scarier. They usually work on primary distribution and level among the line via a trolley. Pretty cool I think.


----------



## ColoradoMaster3768 (Jan 16, 2010)

jwimes2 said:


> which one has the most job security, has the most job openings, and most of all....which one pays better?


 
Pay and job security are what they are, and it's all about trade-offs. Usually, linework pays a little more, but inside wiring can lead a greater diversification of opportunity—there are a lot more inside electrical contractors than there are utilities, or contractors who specialize in working for utilities. As far as job security goes, electrical maintenance may be the best option, but there are trade-offs with this option as well. 

The danger associated with a job (inside or outside) is relative. The primary responsibility for safety is on YOUR shoulders. Never, and I do mean NEVER, allow some "jerk wad" to cajole you into doing something stupid. Should that happen and you do get hurt, that same jerk wad will most likely say something along the lines that "you were stupid to do it." So, don't give 'em the pleasure. At the end of the day you primary task is to go home to your family in a safe and sound condition. 

I find both inside and outside work to be very interesting, but I have found that working higher voltages tends to cause you to be more aware of your surroundings—the "pucker factor" ratchets up geometrically. However, in the long run, complacency is usually a greater cause of injury than voltage level—120 volts can ruin your day. Both types of work (inside and outside) are physically demanding, but pole work is more akin to "bull work" on a day-to-day basis. In underground installations it is not uncommon to frequently work in confined spaces, which have special considerations in terms of oxygen deficiency or explosive gases. Spiking and grounding UG cables also warrants special consideration. Remember, if it isn't grounded, it isn't "dead." 

All in all, both inside and outside work are very good and honorable professions, However, there is one thing to be said about linework: _Everyone looks up to you. _


----------



## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

Poco lineman can make over $100k with overtime....and don't get laidoff...tough job..ya better like being outside and wet...and being on call for a rotation ....if I was young...would go in a second...


----------



## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

you union people and your stupid terms. "inside wireman" come on. so, you guys never work outside? Why do you call it an inside wireman.. does the outside wireman take care of the outside stuff? Then you ask about linemen. Linemen are not electricians, and electricians arent linemen. like EE's and EC's... totally different fields, even though they are in the same general field.


----------



## bogart219 (Jun 20, 2012)

Was the Wichita Lineman the most famous of all time?


----------



## ecelectric (Mar 27, 2009)

I work in substations dept , we handle anything within the yard ,but we also have lineman and we have a construction division which includes wireman . They only do new construction builds . But either way no one in my utility overhead, underground, station , construction ,relay dept have ever been laid off. Just for the record underground , overhead, and substations are all with in a dollar of each other .but typically station guys as well as underground make the most money because of OT with cable faults and what not.


----------



## ColoradoMaster3768 (Jan 16, 2010)

TOOL_5150 said:


> you union people and your stupid terms. "inside wireman" come on. so, you guys never work outside? Why do you call it an inside wireman.. does the outside wireman take care of the outside stuff? Then you ask about linemen. Linemen are not electricians, and electricians arent linemen. like EE's and EC's... totally different fields, even though they are in the same general field.


 
"TOOL 5150," you amaze me with your post, you've outdone yourself—I thought plumbers were limited in only knowing that crap runs downhill, you don't bite your fingernails, and payday is on Friday. With that said, what terms would you suggest? 

The electrical field is by far the most broad in scope. EEs for example can make a career out of batteries alone, and many do. Or, they may focus on the electronic side of the equation, and again, many do. Nevertheless, they are all EEs. The electrical world is really no different in that regard, and you are correct to think there is a difference between linemen and electricians—several within the trade have ratings as both. On the other hand, some refer to electricians whose work is limited to less than 1,000 volts as electricians or wiremen, and if they work voltage levels higher than that they refer to them as high-voltage electricians—there is no set standard, and there is a lot of relevancy. 

However, in my world the term "inside wireman" or electrician normally refers to someone who works on the load-side of the metering equipment (downstream of metering devices). Here voltages are usually limited to no more than 1,000 volts, although in today's world it is not uncommon for industrial or institutional electricians to work with voltages up to about 34,500 volts, with voltages of 4,160, 12,470, 13,200 and 13,800 being common. Whereas, linemen-cablemen (outside wiremen) normally work on the line-side of the metering equipment (upstream-side of metering devices). Here, the voltages can range from 120/240 up through several thousand volts. For example, a distribution lineman may necessarily have to work with 120/240 volt control equipment, as well as build, maintain, troubleshoot and repair lines and cables up through 34,500 volts. 

On the upstream-side of the meter there is a lot of differentiation. Substation electricians for example will work with electronic-level voltages and currents, up to the transmission voltage and current levels found in a substation. Their line of demarcation is usually the switch or switches that can be used to isolate the substation from the transmission line. Linemen—distribution and transmission people—normally do not get intimately involved with the substation equipment. 

Sub-transmission and transmission linemen may work on voltages up through 765,000 volts. Xcel Energy – Colorado for example, considers transmission voltage to begin at 44,000 volts, and it is there that their transmission people take over—if I'm not mistaken, they have lines up to 345,000 volts, with 115/230 kV being the most common in Colorado.

In the world of voltage-level differentiation, there is a LOT of relevancy. I have heard electronic techs refer to 120 volts as high voltage. In the days of yore, 1,000 volts was a normal line of demarcation for electricians and "high voltage" electricians. In many places today 1,000 through 34,500 volts is referred to as "medium voltage," whereas, sub-transmission voltages may reach the 69,000 volt level. In the transmission world, some refer to voltages ranging from 115 – 230 kV as high voltage, 345 – 500 kV as extra-high voltage (EHV) and 500 – 765+ kV as ultra-high voltages (UHV)—again, it is relative.

But back to my small corner of the universe: Quite often I refer to electricians (inside wireman) as "narrow-backs," linemen – cablemen (outside wiremen) as "broad-backs," and plumbers as "flat-backs." Feel free to use whatever terms you wish, I will do the same. Hope this helped.


----------



## ecelectric (Mar 27, 2009)

For the record the line man have a weather clause above 99 and below 10 , and rain or snow unless it's an emergency .as for rotating shift we have trouble man which are trained in all depts and are first responders to all calls and once on scene they do a call out for the appropriate dept to come in.


----------



## Amish Electrician (Jan 2, 2010)

Tool 5150 does have a point, though he ruffled a few feathers in stating it.

The point is that the "union" nomenclature is confusing, even misleading, to those who are not in the trade, in a union environment.

We have 'inside wiremen' and 'outside wiremen,' though to the common person, we are really talking about 'electricians' and 'linesmen.' Then, to confuse things just a bit more, we have 'residential wiremen,' sort of an 'inside wireman light.' 

Not to insult the resi guys ... but while there's a connection between the resi and the inside guys, the 'outside' guys are a completely different trade, and neither of the 'electrician' jobs apply. Let a licensed EC/ master go work for the power company, and he's started out the same as a kid fresh from high school.

That's what the OP needs to know: "Inside wiremen" are the electricians who work for electrical contractors, often changing their jobs and homes in the course of being JOURNEYmen. "Outside wiremen" typically work for the only PoCo in the area, get paid by the PoCo, and they'll spend their entire career with that PoCo. The two are typically represented by different union locals.


----------



## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Job requirements to be a lineman - strong back and a weak mind.


----------

