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Electrical linesworker recruitment for regional employers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help network owners, line construction contractors, mines and councils across Australia hire qualified electrical linesworkers and cable jointers, from experienced line mechanics to leading hands. Line work is licensed differently in almost every state, so each search starts with the licence or authorisation your network needs.

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Illustrative image: two linesworkers in arc-rated gear work from a boom-lift bucket on a power pole beside a country road.

Linesworker hiring at a glance

Linesworkers are a small, specialised workforce in national shortage, and a good share of the hiring happens outside the capitals.

national rating for Electrical Linesworker in 2026
Shortage
Technical Cable Jointer is also rated in national shortage. In shortage means rated S or R.1
people work as electrical distribution trades workers
12,000
February 2026, the group that covers linesworkers and cable jointers.2
online job ads a month for the group
181
Three-month average to September 2026, against 172 a year earlier.3
of those ads with a location were for regional areas
35%
62 of 178 ads, above the 29% regional share of all located job ads.4

What does an electrical linesworker do, and which qualification do they hold?

Electrical distribution trades workers install conductors, aerial equipment and underground cables, install and maintain equipment such as transformers, attend breakdowns and emergencies, and maintain poles and associated hardware.5 In regional areas, breakdown work means call-outs and long drives between jobs.

The overhead distribution trade qualification is UET30621 Certificate III in ESI - Distribution Overhead.6 Cable jointers, transmission linesworkers and underground specialists follow their own pathways, and the licence or network authorisation is what allows them to work.

Which licence does a linesworker need in each state?

Line work is where electrical licensing differs most between states. Some issue a lineworker licence, some an endorsement, and New South Wales accredits the companies rather than licensing line work as electrical wiring.

Licence or authorisation for electrical line work, by state and territory, as published by each regulator on 1 November 2026.

State or territoryLicence for line workGood to know
QueenslandElectrical linesperson licence, covering all electric line work including overhead lines and street lighting7A separate electrical jointer licence covers jointing and terminating cables, such as high voltage cables7
VictoriaLineworker's licence with the class for the work: D for distribution, T for transmission, C for cable jointing or R for rail traction; licensing began on 1 January 20218Class D asks for a Certificate III in ESI - Distribution Overhead or its earlier equivalent8
New South WalesSupply-authority equipment sits outside the electrical licence; contestable network work is done only by accredited service providers9,10The scheme accredits companies, and authorisations are held with the distribution network operators10
TasmaniaElectrical practitioner licence (line worker), needed even when employed11Cable jointer is a separate practitioner licence11
Northern TerritoryElectrical line work endorsement for distribution or for transmission, matching the network work12Each endorsement is limited to its stated network type12
South AustraliaRegistration as an electrician for anyone doing electrical trade work; the licensing page lists no separate lineworker class13We confirm the network operator's requirements with you
Western AustraliaSpecified linework authorised by a major network operator and done by people trained in linework is exempt from electrical worker licensing; trained underground cable jointing has its own exemption14Other electrical work needs a licence from the Electrical Licensing Board, so the role's work scope decides what the person needs14,15
Australian Capital TerritoryThe territory's construction licences include electrician classes but no lineworker class16Ask us to check the network operator's authorisation for the role

What does a linesworker earn?

Where the Electrical Power Industry Award 2020 covers the role, a tradesperson at Technical grade 3, the grade the award lists for lines and cable people, must be paid at least $1,119.90 a week, or $29.86 an hour, from 1 July 2026.17 The award covers employers that generate, transmit, distribute or retail electricity.18 A contractor building lines for a network owner may instead fall under the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020.19

Market pay is far above the award minimum. Electrical distribution trades workers had median full-time earnings of $2,731 a week, or $71 an hour, in May 2025, nationally.2 We talk through overtime, call-out and travel allowances with you before the search begins, because candidates compare the whole package.

Where are linesworkers in demand?

Job ads for electrical distribution trades workers are few, 181 a month across Australia in the three months to September 2026, so each state's figure is small.3 Ads placed for regional areas made up 35% of those with a location.4

Online job ads for electrical distribution trades workers by state (three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier) and each state's share of the group's employment (February 2026).2,3

State or territoryJob ads a month, September 2026A year earlierShare of national employment
Victoria5034124.5%2
New South Wales444332%
Western Australia324515%
Queensland242017.1%
South Australia15156.5%
Tasmania963.1%
Australian Capital Territory521.1%
Northern Territory200.9%

Which line work specialists do we recruit?

Open a specialisation for its licence points and what to put in your brief.

Distribution linesworkers

Line mechanics who build and maintain the overhead poles and wires that supply towns and farms.

Shortage
Electrical Linesworker is rated in national shortage for 2026.1
Licence
Victoria's class D licence covers distribution networks, and the Northern Territory endorsement is limited to distribution lines.8,12
Qualification
UET30621 Certificate III in ESI - Distribution Overhead.6
What to tell us
Voltage levels, live-line or de-energised work, bucket truck or pole climbing, and the storm and call-out roster.

Cable jointers

Specialists who joint and terminate underground and high voltage cables.

Shortage
Technical Cable Jointer is rated in national shortage for 2026.1
Licence
Queensland issues an electrical jointer licence for jointing and terminating cables, including high voltage cables.7
Other states
Victoria licenses underground cable jointing on distribution networks as lineworker class C, and Tasmania issues a separate cable jointer licence.8,11
What to tell us
Cable types and voltages, underground or substation work, the jointing systems you use, and travel between sites.

Transmission linesworkers

Linesworkers on the high voltage transmission lines between generators and the distribution network.

Licence
Victoria licenses transmission line work as its own class T, and the Northern Territory has a separate transmission endorsement.8,12
Award coverage
Transmission of electricity falls within the electrical power industry the Electrical Power Industry Award covers.18
Shortage
Electrical Linesworker, the occupation that includes transmission work, is rated in national shortage for 2026.1
What to tell us
Tower or pole structures, stringing and tensioning work, camp or travel arrangements, and the projects ahead.

What to tell us about your linesworker role

Tell us the network and the work first: distribution or transmission, overhead or underground, construction or maintenance, and the voltages involved. Then the licence or authorisation the person must hold in your state, and any switching or access permits they will need on your network.

Then the roster and travel: storm and emergency call-out, how far the crew travels, whether there is camp or motel accommodation, and the vehicle and overtime arrangements.

How we help you hire a linesworker

You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.

  1. Step 1

    Understand the role

    We talk with you about the network, the voltages, the licence and authorisations the role needs, and the call-out roster.

  2. Step 2

    Source and screen

    We talk with linesworkers about the networks they have worked on, their licence and where it was issued, their climbing and switching experience, and the roster they want.

  3. Step 3

    Introduce suitable people

    We introduce the candidates who best match your brief, so you decide who to interview.

  4. Step 4

    Coordinate the hire

    We coordinate the next steps and keep both sides informed through interviews and the offer. You employ the person directly.

Rosters, call-outs and relocation

Tell us the depot, the territory the crew covers, the storm and call-out roster and any time away from home. We describe each of them plainly in our first conversation with every candidate.

We start with linesworkers who already live near your depot, then widen the search to people ready to move. A linesworker from another state may need your state's licence or your network's authorisation before starting, so we raise it early.

If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Looking for linesworker roles in the regions?

Register with Hire Australia and tell us your licence and where it was issued, the networks and voltages you have worked on, and where you would like to be based. We will talk with you about regional line work that fits.

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Talk to us about your next linesworker hire

Tell us the network, the depot location and when you need the person to start.

Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.

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A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS

Good to know.

Does a linesworker need a licence in every state?

Not the same one. Victoria issues lineworker licences in classes D, T, C and R, Queensland an electrical linesperson licence, Tasmania a line worker practitioner licence and the Northern Territory a distribution endorsement, while NSW accredits companies for network work.7,8,10,11,12 Hire Australia checks the rule for your state and network before the search.

What is the award minimum for a linesworker?

Where the Electrical Power Industry Award 2020 covers the role, a tradesperson at Technical grade 3, which includes lines and cable people, must be paid at least $1,119.90 a week from 1 July 2026.17 Median full-time earnings for the group were $2,731 a week in May 2025.2 Hire Australia talks through the rate and allowances before the search begins.

How hard is it to recruit linesworkers in regional areas?

Electrical Linesworker and Technical Cable Jointer are both rated in national shortage for 2026,1 and only 12,000 people work in the occupation group.2 With few job ads and a small workforce, Hire Australia plans linesworker searches early and talks directly with people who already do the work.

Does Hire Australia recruit cable jointers as well as linesworkers?

Yes. Cable jointers sit in the same occupation group as linesworkers, and Technical Cable Jointer is rated in national shortage for 2026.1 Queensland and Tasmania license jointers separately, so Hire Australia asks candidates which licence or class they hold and raises the role's requirements with you.7,11

What does it cost to use Hire Australia?

Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The fee terms are the same whether Hire Australia recruits one linesworker for a country depot or several for a network crew.

Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?

No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.

Sources (19)

  1. Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings, files dated October 2026. "In shortage" means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  2. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (descriptions, earnings, employment and state tables). Median full-time earnings: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national, non-managerial adult employees. Employment and state shares: February 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  3. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026 (released 21 October 2026), rounded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  4. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by remoteness (major cities and regional), September 2026. Online job ads, three-month average to September 2026; SA4 regions grouped as major city or regional (regional includes Newcastle and Geelong). Counts ads. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  5. Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022, Unit Group 3422 Electrical Distribution Trades Workers. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  6. training.gov.au, UET30621 Certificate III in ESI - Distribution Overhead (release 3, current). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  7. Electrical Safety Office – WorkSafe Queensland, Classes of licences (electrical). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  8. Energy Safe Victoria, Lineworker's licence. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  9. NSW Government (Building Commission NSW), Electrical work licences (page updated 23 June 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  10. NSW Government (Energy NSW), ASP Scheme and contestable works. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  11. Consumer Affairs Tasmania, Electrical practitioner licence (page updated 17 July 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  12. NT WorkSafe, Electrical licences and endorsements. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  13. Government of South Australia (Consumer and Business Services), Plumbing, gas fitting and electrical licensing (page updated 6 October 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  14. Government of Western Australia (legislation.wa.gov.au), Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991, regulation 19 (exemptions for authorised linework and cable jointing). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  15. Government of Western Australia (Building and Energy), Electrical licensing (page updated 22 October 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  16. ACT Government (City and Environment Directorate), Construction licences. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  17. Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay Guide: Electrical Power Industry Award [MA000088]. Published 24 June 2026. Rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026; Technical grade 3 - level 3. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  18. Fair Work Ombudsman, Electrical Power Industry Award 2020 [MA000088], clause 4 coverage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  19. Fair Work Commission, Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 [MA000025]. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑