Retraining ReportJob training public funding can pay for

Find training

Lineman school in California

3 lineman programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

3 schools offer these lineman programs, and California has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Electrical power-line installers and repairers put up and repair the cables and wires that carry electricity, and may erect poles and transmission towers. Most start with a high school diploma and learn in an apprenticeship or employer training program of up to three years; some community colleges offer one-year certificates and two-year degrees.1

In California, 2 of the 3 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and 1 asks for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 3 programs here are lineworker certificate or course (2 programs) and substation or utility technician (1 program).

See the 3 programs

How much does lineman school cost in California?

$1,290 to $18,650

is what the 3 programs with a price cost if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in California may also offer lineman school. How these figures are made

Is there free lineman school in California?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 3 lineman programs in California approved for WIOA funding

Filters
What you need to enroll
Kind of program
School
How it's taught
How to show the list

3 programs

  • Lineworker certificate or courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Electrical Powerline Mechanic

    East Los Angeles Skills Center - LAUSD

    Los Angeles

    High school diploma or equivalent

    East Los Angeles Skills Center - LAUSD, Los AngelesLineworker certificate or courseIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$85,300
    Price if you pay yourself$3,244
    Program website, Electrical Powerline Mechanic at East Los Angeles Skills Center - LAUSD
    More details about Electrical Powerline Mechanic at East Los Angeles Skills Center - LAUSD
    Finished
    90%
    Working at 6 months
    71%
    Earned in a quarter
    $21,320
    Length
    21 weeks, 29 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $2,147
    Students counted
    153
    Earned a year, estimated
    $85,300
    Price if you pay yourself
    $3,244
    Program website, Electrical Powerline Mechanic at East Los Angeles Skills Center - LAUSD

  • Lineworker certificate or courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Electrical Lineworker-480

    American Career Training, LLC

    Redding

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    American Career Training, LLC, ReddingLineworker certificate or course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$39,600
    Price if you pay yourself$18,650

    3 students trained with WIOA funding

    More details about Electrical Lineworker-480 at American Career Training, LLC
    Finished
    97%
    Working at 6 months
    79%
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,888
    Length
    15 weeks, 32 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $6,345
    Students counted
    77
    Earned a year, estimated
    $39,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $18,650
    students trained with WIOA funding
    3

  • Substation or utility technicianIn personEducation and courses

    Introduction to Utility Precraft Training

    Cerritos College

    Norwalk

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Cerritos College, NorwalkSubstation or utility technician · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$92,300
    Price if you pay yourself$1,290
    Program website, Introduction to Utility Precraft Training at Cerritos College
    More details about Introduction to Utility Precraft Training at Cerritos College
    Finished
    92%
    Working at 6 months
    100%
    Earned in a quarter
    $23,076
    Length
    1 week, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $200
    Students counted
    26
    Earned a year, estimated
    $92,300
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,290
    Program website, Introduction to Utility Precraft Training at Cerritos College

How to pay for lineman school in California

WIOA funding can pay for lineman school in California

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for lineman school

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for lineman school

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Lineman school in Los Angeles, Redding and other California cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in California

How lineman school compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in California

Where the California lineman program numbers come from

Which California lineman programs are on this list?

These are the lineman programs California approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what California offers.

How the prices and results of California lineman programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about lineman school in California

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Line Installers and Repairers
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List