Career Library · Sourced profile
Elevator and Escalator Installer/Repairer
Read blueprints, assemble elevator and escalator components, wire control panels, test systems, troubleshoot faults, and perform preventive maintenance.
Sources reviewed 2026-10-23
Daily responsibilities
Read blueprints and measure installation spaces.
Assemble components and wire control panels.
Test equipment, troubleshoot problems, and perform preventive maintenance.
Work setting
Environment
Work takes place at building and construction sites; assignments may involve heights and confined spaces.
Schedule
Most workers are full time; repairers may work overtime and be on call around the clock for emergency repairs.
People and work demands
Human interaction
The sources reviewed do not specify the amount of day-to-day interaction.
Emotional intensity
The source identifies emergency repair calls but does not rate emotional intensity or describe a typical stress level.
Physical reality
BLS describes strenuous work, extensive standing or sitting, confined spaces, heights, and possible lifting of equipment up to 200 pounds.
Compensation evidence
Estimated U.S. median: $109,910 per year · May 2025
Scope: Elevator and escalator installers and repairers. The $109,910 figure is the estimated U.S. occupation median for May 2025, not apprentice pay. BLS says apprentice starting pay is usually about 50% of fully trained workers' pay; local wages and progression vary.
The amount is an occupation-level national median sourced from the cited BLS evidence; it is not a starting wage or guarantee.
Education and credentials
Typical entry path
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required. Nearly all workers learn through an apprenticeship; a typical program lasts four years, though documented relevant experience may qualify someone for a shorter route.
Credentials
Most states require a license. Professional certification is not required nationally, but can demonstrate competence; state and apprenticeship rules vary.
What still needs local verification
No state or apprenticeship sponsor was selected. Confirm actual entry tests, available training routes, state license rules, and apprentice wages before estimating feasibility.
Transferable skill prompts
Potentially reusable evidence includes blueprint reading, mechanical troubleshooting, wiring, testing, and preventive maintenance. These are skill-mapping prompts, not a claim of apprenticeship eligibility.
Other titles to search
Employers do not all use the same title. Try these terms when you research the work and its requirements.
Elevator mechanic
Elevator installer
Elevator repairer
Practical tradeoffs
A typical apprenticeship lasts four years; documented relevant experience may shorten the route.
The median is not apprentice pay. BLS says apprentice starting pay is usually about half the fully trained wage; ask local sponsors for actual rates.
Work can involve heights, confined spaces, hot or cold areas, heavy lifting, and injury risks.
A practical first step
Before treating the occupation median as attainable, compare local apprenticeship entry tests and apprentice pay with the license requirements for your state. This is a research step, not a claim that an opening is available.