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THE PAY GLOSSARY

Lineman pay terms, in plain English.

The words on agreements, timesheets and paystubs, defined the way a crew would explain them. Each links to the guide that goes deeper.

An educational guide for U.S. lineworkers. It is not legal, tax, payroll or employment advice, and it does not decide what your agreement or employer owes you. Every dollar figure is a fictional example. Updated ; sources checked .

42 terms, A to Z.

Apprentice
A worker in a registered training program, usually paid a percentage of the journeyman rate that rises with each step. Apprentice pay guide →
Base rate
The straight-time hourly rate for your classification on the rate sheet or agreement. It is not always the federal regular rate used for overtime.
Call-back
Another name for a callout.
Callout
Unscheduled work after you have been released, such as a trouble call at night. Also written call-out. Callout pay guide →
Callout minimum
A rule that pays each qualifying callout for at least a set number of hours, such as 4, even if the work takes less time. Callout pay guide →
Classification
Your job category, such as journeyman lineman, apprentice, foreman, operator or groundman. It sets which rate applies.
Collective bargaining agreement
The written contract between a union and an employer that sets wages, hours, premiums and working conditions. Often called the CBA or the agreement.
Contract workday
The day boundary an agreement uses for daily overtime. It may start at a set hour rather than midnight.
Current
The paystub column for this pay period only, as opposed to year to date.
Daily overtime
Premium pay for hours beyond a daily threshold, such as 8 or 10 hours. It comes from an agreement, a pay policy or some state laws, not federal law. Overtime guide →
Deduction
An amount taken out of gross pay, such as taxes, retirement or health contributions, union dues or a garnishment.
Double time
Pay at twice the rate. Federal law does not require it; agreements and some state laws do, for example after a set number of hours in a day. Overtime guide →
Earnings code
The short paystub label for a kind of pay, such as regular, overtime or per diem. Each employer uses its own codes. Paystub guide →
Effective date
The date a rate, step or rule starts to apply. Hours before it use the old rate; hours after it use the new one.
Foreman
The crew lead classification, usually paid at a rate above the journeyman rate.
Fringe benefits
Employer contributions such as pension, health and training funds. They are part of the wage package but not cash in your paycheck.
Full-rate overtime line
A paystub line that pays overtime hours at the whole overtime rate, such as 1.5 times the base rate.
Gross wages
Earnings before taxes and deductions, not counting reimbursements such as per diem. The figure to compare when checking a paycheck.
Groundman
An entry-level classification that supports the crew from the ground. Also called a ground hand.
Guarantee
Extra pay created by a minimum rule, such as a callout minimum. It is pay, not time worked. Also called a top-up.
Holiday premium
A higher rate for work on listed holidays, set by an agreement or pay policy. Different from holiday pay for a day not worked.
Journeyman lineman
A fully qualified lineworker who has completed an apprenticeship. The journeyman rate is the reference for many other classifications.
Net pay
What is left after deductions; usually the amount deposited. Not the figure to compare with your expected earnings.
Nonexempt
Covered by the federal overtime requirement. Manual trades such as linework are generally nonexempt no matter how highly paid.
Outside-schedule premium
A higher rate for work before the regular start time or after quitting time, set by an agreement.
Overtime
Premium pay for hours beyond a threshold. The federal floor is at least 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek; agreements add daily rules. Overtime guide →
Pay date
The day you are paid. It is usually after the pay period ends, so it does not tell you which work the paycheck covers.
Pay period
The span of work dates a paycheck covers. Compare a paycheck with the work logged in its pay period.
Per diem
A daily allowance for meals, lodging or incidental costs while working away from home. Often called subsistence and usually kept separate from wages. Per diem guide →
Premium-only overtime line
A paystub line that pays only the extra half-rate for overtime hours that also appear at straight time on the regular line.
Prevailing wage
Minimum wage and fringe rates required on certain publicly funded projects, such as those covered by the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.
Regular rate
For federal overtime, the week's includable pay divided by the hours actually worked. It can be higher than the base rate when bonuses or some differentials are paid. Overtime guide →
Rest time
Time off, or pay, that some agreements require after long or late work before the next shift. Also called fatigue time.
Retro pay
A correction that pays the difference for earlier periods, for example after a raise was applied late.
Show-up pay
A minimum payment, under some rules, when you report as scheduled but work is cut short or canceled. Also called reporting pay.
Standby
Being available to be called. Whether standby is work time depends on how restricted you are; agreements may pay a standby allowance. Also called on-call.
Step
A stage of an apprenticeship with its own rate, usually a percentage of the journeyman rate. Apprentice pay guide →
Storm work
Emergency restoration work, often with long shifts, travel and lodging away from home. Any special storm rate comes from an agreement or the job's terms. Storm pay guide →
Straight time
Hours paid at the base rate, without a premium.
Subsistence
Another name for per diem in many agreements. Per diem guide →
Workweek
For federal overtime, a fixed, recurring 168-hour period that can start on any day. It is not the same as the pay period.
Year to date
The running total since the start of the payroll year, shown as YTD on a paystub. Use the current column, not YTD, to check one paycheck.