Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
Elevator and escalator installer
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers assemble, maintain, and fix elevators, escalators, and lifts in buildings. It is the highest-paying trade on this site by BLS median wage, with a small number of openings each year.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What an elevator and escalator installer makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$109,910
$52.84 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $79,290
- 75th percentile
- $135,720
- 90th percentile
- $158,890
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 100%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +5.7%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 1,900
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
Almost everyone enters through the four-year paid apprenticeship run by the International Union of Elevator Constructors and NEIEP; applications open by region and are competitive, with an aptitude test and interview. A high school diploma, physical fitness, and mechanical or electrical experience help.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.
The next step
IUEC/NEIEP apprenticeship (4 years, paid), then the mechanic exam
- Typical cost
- Free; paid from day one
- Time to complete
- 4 years
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for elevator and escalator installers and repairers by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $69.08 | $143,690 | $85,050 to $154,260 | 110 |
| Nevada | $68.25 | $141,950 | $126,270 to $165,790 | 510 |
| California | $67.88 | $141,180 | $120,900 to $161,230 | 1,910 |
| Oregon | $66.64 | $138,600 | $98,670 to $146,790 | 230 |
| Massachusetts | $66.55 | $138,420 | $83,020 to $153,760 | — |
| New Jersey | $66.31 | $137,920 | $125,040 to $167,130 | 800 |
| Washington | $65.95 | $137,180 | $100,710 to $153,370 | 540 |
| New York | $65.25 | $135,720 | $108,940 to $153,220 | 3,470 |
| Illinois | $64.27 | $133,690 | $94,850 to $160,450 | 1,080 |
| Minnesota | $61.55 | $128,020 | $102,320 to $131,040 | 550 |
| Missouri | $60.94 | $126,750 | $124,120 to $134,820 | 450 |
| Colorado | $59.31 | $123,360 | $74,150 to $125,950 | 530 |
| District of Columbia | $58.93 | $122,570 | $81,030 to $122,570 | — |
| Maryland | $58.78 | $122,260 | $96,120 to $123,710 | 810 |
| Nebraska | $56.58 | $117,690 | $75,650 to $122,410 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $56.37 | $117,250 | $77,700 to $125,750 | 900 |
| South Dakota | $55.92 | $116,320 | $99,050 to $119,240 | — |
| Iowa | $55.43 | $115,300 | $86,850 to $118,300 | 90 |
| Virginia | $52.04 | $108,250 | $74,880 to $125,740 | 280 |
| North Carolina | $51.78 | $107,700 | $48,330 to $122,770 | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $50.69 | $105,430 | $57,330 to $120,710 | 140 |
| Ohio | $50.49 | $105,020 | $72,950 to $116,870 | 690 |
| Florida | $50.35 | $104,730 | $71,100 to $114,180 | 2,790 |
| Alabama | $49.86 | $103,700 | $96,290 to $105,440 | 170 |
| Texas | $49.11 | $102,140 | $74,180 to $109,650 | 2,030 |
| Tennessee | $48.31 | $100,490 | $77,080 to $106,940 | 700 |
| Michigan | $47.67 | $99,140 | $60,760 to $139,690 | 560 |
| Indiana | $44.42 | $92,390 | $63,490 to $122,330 | 120 |
| South Carolina | $43.68 | $90,860 | $75,810 to $106,950 | 540 |
| Montana | $43.45 | $90,370 | $61,150 to $98,360 | 40 |
| Kansas | $40.75 | $84,760 | $57,510 to $138,860 | 70 |
| Georgia | $40.14 | $83,500 | $56,750 to $107,990 | 640 |
| Utah | $38.97 | $81,060 | $67,120 to $114,670 | 280 |
| Wisconsin | $37.33 | $77,640 | $60,140 to $94,080 | 370 |
| New Mexico | $34.34 | $71,430 | $59,800 to $100,800 | 110 |
| Arkansas | $29.58 | $61,530 | $56,140 to $106,000 | 60 |
| Kentucky | $20.51 | $42,670 | $41,130 to $61,420 | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — | 80 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be an elevator and escalator installer?
No. BLS lists "high school diploma or equivalent" as the typical education for entry, and 100% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is IUEC/NEIEP apprenticeship (4 years, paid), then the mechanic exam.
How much does an elevator and escalator installer make?
The median pay was $109,910 a year ($52.84 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $79,290 and $135,720, and the top 10 percent earned more than $158,890.
How long does it take to become an elevator and escalator installer?
4 years. The typical cost is free; paid from day one.
Is elevator and escalator installer work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035 with about 1,900 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 47-4021.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile