Electrical Power-Line Technician
Energy & Utilities
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
- 2Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
- 3Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
- 4Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
- 5Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
- 6Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.
- 7Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers.
- 8Replace or straighten damaged poles.
- 9String wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension.
- 10Attach cross-arms, insulators, and auxiliary equipment to poles prior to installing them.
- 11Dig holes, using augers, and set poles, using cranes and power equipment.
- 12Travel in trucks, helicopters, and airplanes to inspect lines for freedom from obstruction and adequacy of insulation.
- 13Identify defective sectionalizing devices, circuit breakers, fuses, voltage regulators, transformers, switches, relays, or wiring, using wiring diagrams and electrical-testing instruments.
- 14Install watt-hour meters and connect service drops between power lines and consumers' facilities.
- 15Test conductors, according to electrical diagrams and specifications, to identify corresponding conductors and to prevent incorrect connections.
- 16Place insulating or fireproofing materials over conductors and joints.
- 17Splice or solder cables together or to overhead transmission lines, customer service lines, or street light lines, using hand tools, epoxies, or specialized equipment.
- 18Trim trees that could be hazardous to the functioning of cables or wires.
- 19Clean, tin, and splice corresponding conductors by twisting ends together or by joining ends with metal clamps and soldering connections.
- 20Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks.
- 21Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduit running through the trenches.
- 22Cut trenches for laying underground cables, using trenchers and cable plows.
- 23Cut and peel lead sheathing and insulation from defective or newly installed cables and conduits prior to splicing.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- Climber
- Lineman
- Locator
- Splicer
- Cableman
- Linesman
- Installer
- Line Tech
- Relay Man
- Lineworker
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
Typical entry
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Building and Construction72%
Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)
- English Language68%
English
- Education and Training67%
- Public Safety and Security66%
- Transportation66%
- Mechanical65%
Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersVery high
- Handling conflict situationsRarely
- Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
- Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
- Noisy environmentEvery day
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org