What They Do: Elevator installers and repairers install, fix, and maintain elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other lifts.
Work Environment: Elevator installers and repairers often work in cramped quarters inside crawl spaces and machine rooms, and may be exposed to heights in elevator shafts. Repairers may be on call 24 hours a day and required to work overtime when essential equipment needs repair.
How to Become One: Nearly all elevator installers and repairers learn through an apprenticeship. Currently, 35 states require workers to be licensed.
Salary: The median annual wage for elevator installers and repairers is $84,990.
Job Outlook: Employment of elevator installers and repairers is projected to grow 7 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations. New installation and maintenance of elevators and escalators in stores and residential and commercial buildings is expected to spur demand for workers.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of elevator installers and repairers with similar occupations.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as an elevator installer and repairer with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
TK Elevator is currently seeking an experienced Operations Manager - Service/ Repair in Oklahoma City, OK. Essential duties and responsibilities: * Supervises superintendents and employees by ...
Company Description Collins Elevator Service was founded in 1978 with the inspiration of providing excellence and professionalism in elevator repair work and customer service to the District of ...
Elevator Account Manger Liberty Elevator Corporation is in search of an energetic Account Manager ... Propose and follow up with maintenance, repair , and modernization surveys * Follow up on shut downs ...
If you have experience working as an industrial maintenance mechanic , electrician or elevator mechanic then your the optimal fit for T.L. Shield & Associates, Inc. Duties and responsibilities * Read ...
Looking to hire elevator installer. All types of elevators , commercial, residential, VPL's, Stairlifts, Inclined Lifts. Must have previous experience in elevator installations for lead installer ...
This position is the starting point toward an exciting career as a licensed elevator mechanic . Salary Helpers' start pay is $15-$20/hr. Depending on Experience Benefits include: Paid training, health ...
Elevator installers and repairers install, fix, and maintain elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other lifts.
Elevator installers and repairers typically do the following:
Elevator installers and repairers, also called elevator constructors or elevator mechanics, assemble, install, maintain, and replace elevators, escalators, chairlifts, moving walkways, and similar equipment in buildings.
Elevator installers and repairers usually specialize in installation, maintenance, or repair work. Maintenance and repair workers generally require greater knowledge of electronics, hydraulics, and electricity than do installers because a large part of maintenance and repair work is troubleshooting. Most elevators have computerized control systems, resulting in more complex systems and troubleshooting than in the past.
After an elevator is installed, workers must regularly maintain and service it to keep the elevator working properly. They generally perform preventive maintenance, such as oiling and greasing moving parts, replacing worn parts, and adjusting equipment for optimal performance. They also troubleshoot and may be called to perform emergency repairs. Workers who specialize in elevator maintenance typically service many of the same elevators on multiple occasions over time.
A service crew usually handles major repairs—for example, replacing cables, elevator doors, or machine bearings. These tasks may require the use of cutting torches or rigging equipment—tools that an elevator repairer would not normally carry. Service crews also perform major modernization and alteration work, such as replacing electric motors, hydraulic pumps, and control panels.
Elevator installers and repairers hold about 28,900 jobs. The largest employers of elevator installers and repairers are as follows:
| Building equipment contractors | 86% |
| Government | 2% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 1% |
Elevator installation and repair work is usually physically demanding. They may sit or stand for extensive periods, lift items that weigh up to 200 pounds, and work in cramped areas inside crawl spaces and machine rooms. They also may work at heights in elevator shafts, in dusty and dirty places with oily and greasy equipment, and in hot or cold environments.
Elevator installers and repairers may suffer falls from ladders, burns due to electrical shocks, and muscle strains from lifting and carrying heavy equipment. As a result, workers must take precaution and wear protective equipment such as hardhats, harnesses, and safety glasses.
Almost all elevator installers and repairers work full time. They may work overtime when emergency repairs need to be made or construction deadlines need to be met. Workers may sometimes be on call 24 hours a day.
Get the education you need: Find schools for Elevator Installers and Repairers near you!
Nearly all elevator installers and repairers learn through an apprenticeship. Currently, 35 states require workers to be licensed.
High school classes in math, mechanical drawing, and shop may help applicants compete for apprenticeship openings.
A career in elevator installation and repair typically begins with a 4-year apprenticeship program sponsored by a union, industry association, or individual contractor. For each year of the program, apprentices typically receive at least 144 hours of technical instruction and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. During training, apprentices learn about safety, blueprint reading, mathematics, applied physics, elevator and escalator parts, electrical and digital theory, and electronics.
The basic qualifications to enter an apprenticeship program are the following:
When they finish the apprenticeship program, elevator installers and repairers are fully trained and become mechanics or assistant mechanics. Ongoing training is important for elevator installers and repairers in order to keep up with technological developments throughout their careers.
Currently, 35 states require elevator installers and repairers to be licensed. Check with your state for more information.
Although not required, certification can show competence and proficiency in the field.
Elevator installers and repairers can become certified as Certified Elevator Technicians (CET) or Certified Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technicians (CAT) through the National Association of Elevator Contractors. They can also be certified as Qualified Elevator Inspectors (QEI) through the National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities.
Some installers may receive additional training in specialized areas and advance to become a mechanic-in-charge, adjuster, supervisor, or elevator inspector.
Detail oriented. Elevator installers must keep accurate records of their service schedules. These records are used to schedule future maintenance, which helps reduce breakdowns.
Mechanical skills. Elevator installers use a variety of power tools and hand tools to install and repair lifts. Escalators, for example, run on tracks that must be installed using wrenches and screwdrivers.
Physical stamina. Elevators installers must be able to perform strenuous work, especially in cramped and confined spaces, for long periods.
Physical strength. Elevator installers often lift heavy equipment and parts, including escalator steps, conduit, and metal tracks. Some apprentices must be able to lift 100 pounds in order to participate in a training program.
Troubleshooting skills. Elevator installers and repairers must be able to diagnose and repair problems. When an escalator stops moving, for example, mechanics determine why it stopped and make the necessary repairs.
The median annual wage for elevator installers and repairers is $84,990. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,620, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $124,150.
The median annual wages for elevator installers and repairers in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Government | $93,110 |
| Building equipment contractors | $84,140 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | $74,820 |
The starting pay for apprentices is usually 50 percent of what fully trained elevator installers and repairers make. They earn pay increases as they progress in their apprenticeship. Apprentices who are also certified welders usually receive higher wages while welding. Assistant mechanics, by contract, receive 80 percent of the rate paid to journeyman elevator installers and repairers.
Almost all elevator installers and repairers work full time. They may work overtime when emergency repairs need to be made or construction deadlines need to be met. Workers may sometimes be on call 24 hours a day.
Most elevator installers and repairers belong to a union. Although no single union covers all elevator installers and repairers, the largest organizer of these workers is the International Union of Elevator Constructors.
Employment of elevator installers and repairers is projected to grow 7 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
Demand for these workers is closely tied to nonresidential construction, such as office buildings and stores that have elevators and escalators, and this type of construction is expected to increase during the next decade.
In addition, the need to regularly maintain, update, and repair old equipment; provide access for the disabled; and install increasingly sophisticated equipment and controls will maintain demand for elevator installers and repairers.
About 3,000 openings for elevator installers and repairers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Job opportunities for entry-level workers should be best for those who have postsecondary education in electronics.
Elevators, escalators, lifts, moving walkways, and related equipment need to work year round, so employment of elevator repairers is less affected by economic downturns and seasonality than employment in other construction occupations.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2019 | Projected Employment, 2029 | Change, 2019-29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Elevator installers and repairers | 28,900 | 30,800 | 7 | 1,900 |
For information about apprenticeships or job opportunities as an elevator installer or repairer, contact local elevator contractors, a local chapter of the International Union of Elevator Constructors, a local joint union–management apprenticeship committee, or the nearest office of your state employment service or apprenticeship agency. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program online or by phone at 877-872-5627.
For more information about elevator installers and repairers, visit
International Union of Elevator Constructors
National Elevator Industry Educational Program
For more information about the NAEC Apprenticeship Program, the Certified Elevator Technician program, or the Certified Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technician program, visit
National Association of Elevator Contractors
For more information about certification as a Qualified Elevator Inspector, visit
A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.