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Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers: Career Overview
Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.
What Do Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers Perform?
The core tasks performed by elevator and escalator installers and repairers cover:
- Inspect wiring connections, control panel hookups, door installations, and alignments and clearances of cars and hoistways to ensure that equipment will operate properly.
- Assemble, install, repair, and maintain elevators, escalators, moving sidewalks, and dumbwaiters, using hand and power tools, and testing devices such as test lamps, ammeters, and voltmeters.
- Disassemble defective units, and repair or replace parts such as locks, gears, cables, and electric wiring.
- Check that safety regulations and building codes are met, and complete service reports verifying conformance to standards.
- Locate malfunctions in brakes, motors, switches, and signal and control systems, using test equipment.
- Adjust safety controls, counterweights, door mechanisms, and components such as valves, ratchets, seals, and brake linings.
- Read and interpret blueprints to determine the layout of system components, frameworks, and foundations, and to select installation equipment.
- Connect car frames to counterweights, using steel cables.
What Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers Need to Know
Top elevator and escalator installers and repairers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Accessibility Lift Technician (Accessibility Lift Tech)
- Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technician (Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Tech)
- Building Serviceman
- Contract Serviceman
- Elevator Adjuster
- Elevator Builder
- Elevator Constructor
- Elevator Erector
How Many Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers Are There?
There are about 545,721 elevator and escalator installers and repairers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -2.0% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $36,138 |
| Hourly median | $17.37 |
| 10th percentile | $22,428 |
| 25th percentile | $29,283 |
| 75th percentile | $42,993 |
| 90th percentile | $49,848 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $150,600 |
| Maine | $138,520 |
| Nevada | $137,950 |
| California | $137,340 |
| Oregon | $135,620 |
| New Jersey | $134,590 |
| Massachusetts | $134,360 |
| Washington | $133,030 |
| Illinois | $130,070 |
| District of Columbia | $125,030 |
| New York | $124,530 |
| Missouri | $123,710 |
| Kansas | $121,500 |
| Maryland | $119,200 |
| Colorado | $117,770 |
| Minnesota | $117,760 |
| Michigan | $114,570 |
| Indiana | $113,710 |
| Arizona | $110,500 |
| Iowa | $107,010 |
| Pennsylvania | $106,140 |
| Florida | $103,400 |
| Virginia | $102,720 |
| Oklahoma | $102,620 |
| North Carolina | $102,310 |
| Tennessee | $97,150 |
| Texas | $94,550 |
| Alabama | $89,750 |
| Montana | $84,550 |
| Delaware | $84,120 |
| Utah | $78,680 |
| South Carolina | $71,350 |
| Ohio | $70,290 |
| Georgia | $67,510 |
| Arkansas | $60,220 |
| Wisconsin | $57,470 |
| Kentucky | $43,500 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,720 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for elevator and escalator installers and repairers vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $136,079 | 18.9% | 1.37 |
| New England | $135,218 | 3.0% | 0.99 |
| Middle Atlantic | $121,815 | 28.5% | 2.28 |
| Plains States | $115,353 | 3.5% | 0.94 |
| Great Lakes | $111,795 | 10.2% | 0.87 |
| Rocky Mountains | $101,376 | 3.2% | 0.87 |
| Southwest | $95,102 | 6.9% | 0.63 |
| Southeast | $89,570 | 25.2% | 1.10 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $169,560 | 120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $164,020 | 390 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $150,600 | |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | ME | $146,830 | 50 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $143,180 | |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $141,380 | 720 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $139,690 | 180 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $137,040 | 770 |
Top Industries Employing Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Most elevator and escalator installers and repairers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 19,690 | $108,130 |
| Manufacturing | 1,570 | $109,410 |
| Wholesale Trade | 400 | $93,720 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 210 | $73,170 |
| Educational Services | 150 | $97,910 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 40 | $37,780 |
Below are examples of industries where elevator and escalator installers and repairers work:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for elevator and escalator installers and repairers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Telephone Conversations
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level elevator and escalator installers and repairers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Boilermakers (Supplemental)
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (Supplemental)
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers (Primary-Long)
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers (Supplemental)
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (Primary-Long)
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (Supplemental)
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines (Primary-Short)
- Rail Car Repairers (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Future elevator and escalator installers and repairers often complete programs in:
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-4021.00 (Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers).
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