With a national median of $109,910 and +5.0% projected job growth through 2034, Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers offers both strong financial return and stable long-term demand.
Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.
Also known as:
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers earn $109,910 nationally, well above the national median for college graduates. The middle 50% of earners fall between $79,290 and $135,720. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and location.
Well above average for college graduates.
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
O*NET data identifies 5 core activities and 5 measurable skills for Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers roles. Use this section to judge whether the day-to-day reality aligns with what you actually want to spend time doing.
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
The BLS projects +5.0% employment change for Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers through 2034, roughly in line with the national average of +5%. About 2,000 openings per year keep the field accessible to new entrants.
About as fast as average.
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
Total US employment as of BLS May 2024.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024.
The five states below employ the most Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $109,910 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 3,710 | $124,530 | +13.3% |
| 2 | California | 2,830 | $137,340 | +25.0% |
| 3 | Florida | 2,100 | $103,400 | -5.9% |
| 4 | Texas | 1,360 | $94,550 | -14.0% |
| 5 | Maryland | 1,200 | $119,200 | +8.5% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
Most Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify. The program below is the most common academic pathways into this field, ranked by how many graduates they produce each year.
A medium amount of preparation is required, often an associate degree, certificate program, or apprenticeship, plus some related experience.
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians | 8,614 | $83,301 | 374 |
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Georgia Technical College Americus, GA | 86 | $1,164 | $30,364 |
| 2 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro Murfreesboro, TN | 86 | $6,631 | $40,869 |
| 3 | New Castle School of Trades New Castle, PA | 85 | $8,361 | $44,814 |
| 4 | Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green, KY | 83 | $3,537 | $34,242 |
| 5 | San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA | 83 | $3,337 | $48,224 |
| 6 | Northeast Alabama Community College Rainsville, AL | 82 | $2,756 | $34,913 |
Once you've sized up Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
See if the degree that leads to Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Strong earnings and growing demand make Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers a compelling path. The 4 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
Across 385 careers, the credential a job requires barely predicts what it pays. The top high-school-only career out-earns 123 of 148 bachelor's-degree careers.
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
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