# Electrician vs Lineman at Utility company



## John92 (Mar 24, 2012)

Does anybody know what an electrician position at a utility company does? I know the lineman obviously do line work but i never knew there were electrician positions at utility companys also. Any insight on what they do would be greatly appreciated. Also does anybody know how much an electrician at a utility company would be making hourly compared to a lineman? Thanks everyone.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Probably substation electrician. They're the ones who actually think sometimes.


----------



## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> Probably substation electrician. They're the ones who actually think sometimes.


I would hope the guys high up in the air working on live wires would have to be thinking all the time.


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

The one's here make the same as the linemen and belong to their local. They take care of all the maintenance in the substations, rebuild transformers, grounding, construction, relays, and more. I was talking to one of the substation electricians this week when I was wiring a new overhead door at their operations center.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

And you could be a maintenance electrician, doing repairs and installs at all their facilities.


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

I got to watch a couple of inside electricians at work for HECO at an office facility they lease while I was installing conduits for an access control system. The were putting in new main distribution panel and distribution panels. The work was first class awesome, I was impressed as hell at those guys.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

macmikeman said:


> I got to watch a couple of inside electricians at work for HECO at an office facility they lease while I was installing conduits for an access control system. The were putting in new main distribution panel and distribution panels. The work was first class awesome, I was impressed as hell at those guys.



Often these guys are on a no bid job, do not have to worry about time, material cost or other issues facing contractors.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

brian john said:


> Often these guys are on a no bid job, do not have to worry about time, material cost or other issues facing contractors.


Yup. Give me free shot at a catalog, and I'll put in every job with RMC and stainless 4X panels and it will be awesome. I'll take my time and concentric bend everything, and for a hundred years people will stand in awe at my work. :whistling2:


----------



## Big John (May 23, 2010)

John92 said:


> Does anybody know what an electrician position at a utility company does? I know the lineman obviously do line work but i never knew there were electrician positions at utility companys also. Any insight on what they do would be greatly appreciated. Also does anybody know how much an electrician at a utility company would be making hourly compared to a lineman? Thanks everyone.


 I'm a utility electrician. It's a very different ballgame than what the lineman do, and while at one point I seriously considered linework, I'm glad I ended up with this.

What you will do depends greatly on the utility. Like someone said, you could be a substation electrician, or you could be doing building maintenance, or you could be doing it all.

In my case we do it all, which is what makes it so enjoyable. Everything from low power process control panels all the way up to switching and maintenance at 121kV.

The pay and bennies are definitely nothing to complain about, but comparing us to union linemen on pay, there's no contest: The lineys have us beat by a mile. But the work conditions they endure are also much harder, physically and in terms of conditions, and their schedules are much more unpredictable.

As an electrician this is what I always hoped my career would lead me to. I say go for it.

-John


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Big John said:


> I*'m a utility electrician.* It's a very different ballgame than what the lineman do, and while at one point I seriously considered linework, I'm glad I ended up with this.
> 
> -John



That explains a lot...:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## Big John (May 23, 2010)

brian john said:


> That explains a lot...:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


 Gee, thanks. :thumbsup:

Yeah, I learn new stuff and it pushes all the old stuff out of my brain, so I don't remember a lot of the code that used to come easy. At this point, not even sure I could wire a kitchen without doing a refresher.

-John


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Big John said:


> Gee, thanks. :thumbsup:
> 
> Yeah, I learn new stuff and it pushes all the old stuff out of my brain, so I don't remember a lot of the code that used to come easy. At this point, not even sure I could wire a kitchen without doing a refresher.
> 
> -John


John, I was just giving you a hard time, as for the NEC never my strong point.

I have a code question I want, Marc, Bob, Don or Dennis in my court.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Big John said:


> Gee, thanks. :thumbsup:
> 
> Yeah, I learn new stuff and it pushes all the old stuff out of my brain, so I don't remember a lot of the code that used to come easy. At this point, not even sure I could wire a kitchen without doing a refresher.
> 
> -John


No shame in that. It's not really what you do. Find a guy that wires top-notch kitchens, and he won't have a clue how to safely rack out a vacuum circuit breaker.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> No shame in that. It's not really what you do. Find a guy that wires top-notch kitchens, and he won't have a clue how to safely rack out a vacuum circuit breaker.


One of the top control guys I know screwed up a 4-way switch in his basement build out.


----------



## Big John (May 23, 2010)

brian john said:


> John, I was just giving you a hard time....


 I know it. No worries. However, the day I screw up a 4-way switch I don't think I'll be posting that thread here.... :whistling2:

-John


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

brian john said:


> One of the top control guys I know screwed up a 4-way switch in his basement build out.


I'd probably do the same.


----------



## ecelectric (Mar 27, 2009)

I'm in substation dept where we take care of everything behind the fence to switching 345 kv lines. It includes maintainence of the equipment everyday problems that pop up , installing new equipment. As far as pay we are pretty equal to a lineman. We do how ever have a construction department who handles construction of new substations , additions to old substations and any other large scale projects , those guys are required to be licensed.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

ecelectric said:


> I'm in substation dept where we take care of everything behind the fence to switching 345 kv lines. It includes maintainence of the equipment everyday problems that pop up , installing new equipment. As far as pay we are pretty equal to a lineman. We do how ever have a construction department who handles construction of new substations , additions to old substations and any other large scale projects , those guys are required to be licensed.



YTou do electrical testing to include relays?


----------



## Cgy1 (Nov 27, 2011)

I've been wanting to work for a utility company, but unfortunately it's a whole other trade/apprenticeship from a regular electrician here. We have electricians and power system electricians. Utility's here typically only hire linemen and power system electricians.


----------

