How to become an Elevator and Escalator Installer or Repairer

Official title: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Also called: Elevator Adjuster, Elevator Constructor, Elevator Installer, Elevator Mechanic, Elevator Repair and Maintenance Technician (Elevator Repair and Maintenance Tech), Elevator Service Mechanic, Elevator Service Technician (Elevator Service Tech), Elevator Serviceman, Elevator Technician (Elevator Tech), Elevator Troubleshooter

Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.

Main tasks

• 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.

How to become one

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. Nearly all learn how to do the work through an apprenticeship. Most states require workers to be licensed.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technician. BLS lists an apprenticeship as the typical training for this occupation.
• Apprenticeship: Elevator Constructor. BLS lists an apprenticeship as the typical training for this occupation.
• Apprenticeship: Elevator Repairer. BLS lists an apprenticeship as the typical training for this occupation.
• Licence: A licence is required in 31 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $109,910 a year The middle half earn $79,290 to $135,720.
• About 24,700 people work in this job now, and about 26,100 are projected by 2035. (+5.7%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Construction and Building Inspectors
• Energy Auditors
• Fence Erectors
• Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Elevator and Escalator Installer or Repairer?

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. Nearly all learn how to do the work through an apprenticeship. Most states require workers to be licensed.

How much does an Elevator and Escalator Installer or Repairer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $109,910 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $79,290 to $135,720.

Is an Elevator and Escalator Installer or Repairer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 24,700 to about 26,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Elevator and Escalator Installer or Repairer?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technician.

Will AI change the work of an Elevator and Escalator Installer or Repairer?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.