BLS elevator and escalator mechanic pay by state and level, apprentice starting pay, overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers earned a median of $109,910 a year in May 2025 ($52.84 an hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 23,790. That makes it one of the best-paid trades, with the top tenth over $158,890 and the bottom tenth under $59,270. Call-outs and overtime are extra.
This is the BLS line for elevator and escalator installers and repairers (SOC 47-4021) on employers' payrolls. Overtime and on-call pay are excluded (BLS OEWS FAQ). BLS released state figures for only some states. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28.49 | $59,270 | $4,939 | $49,803 |
| 25th percentile | $38.12 | $79,290 | $6,608 | $64,611 |
| Median | $52.84 | $109,910 | $9,159 | $86,152 |
| 75th percentile | $65.25 | $135,720 | $11,310 | $104,031 |
| 90th percentile | $76.39 | $158,890 | $13,241 | $119,867 |
Maine ($143,690), Nevada ($141,950) and California ($141,180) have the highest medians among the 37 states BLS reports. New York employs the most elevator mechanics, 3,470, at $135,720, ahead of Florida ($104,730) and Texas ($102,140). Kentucky's released median, $42,670, is far below every other state and comes with no employment count, so read it with care.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $69.08 | $143,690 | 110 |
| Nevada | $68.25 | $141,950 | 510 |
| California | $67.88 | $141,180 | 1,910 |
| Oregon | $66.64 | $138,600 | 230 |
| Massachusetts | $66.55 | $138,420 | — |
| New Jersey | $66.31 | $137,920 | 800 |
| Washington | $65.95 | $137,180 | 540 |
| New York | $65.25 | $135,720 | 3,470 |
| Illinois | $64.27 | $133,690 | 1,080 |
| Minnesota | $61.55 | $128,020 | 550 |
| Missouri | $60.94 | $126,750 | 450 |
| Colorado | $59.31 | $123,360 | 530 |
| District of Columbia | $58.93 | $122,570 | — |
| Maryland | $58.78 | $122,260 | 810 |
| Nebraska | $56.58 | $117,690 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $56.37 | $117,250 | 900 |
| South Dakota | $55.92 | $116,320 | — |
| Iowa | $55.43 | $115,300 | 90 |
| Virginia | $52.04 | $108,250 | 280 |
| North Carolina | $51.78 | $107,700 | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $50.69 | $105,430 | 140 |
| Ohio | $50.49 | $105,020 | 690 |
| Florida | $50.35 | $104,730 | 2,790 |
| Alabama | $49.86 | $103,700 | 170 |
| Texas | $49.11 | $102,140 | 2,030 |
| Tennessee | $48.31 | $100,490 | 700 |
| Michigan | $47.67 | $99,140 | 560 |
| Indiana | $44.42 | $92,390 | 120 |
| South Carolina | $43.68 | $90,860 | 540 |
| Montana | $43.45 | $90,370 | 40 |
| Kansas | $40.75 | $84,760 | 70 |
| Georgia | $40.14 | $83,500 | 640 |
| Utah | $38.97 | $81,060 | 280 |
| Wisconsin | $37.33 | $77,640 | 370 |
| New Mexico | $34.34 | $71,430 | 110 |
| Arkansas | $29.58 | $61,530 | 60 |
| Kentucky | $20.51 | $42,670 | — |
Government has the highest median, $116,480, but building equipment contractors employ 89% of elevator mechanics at $113,290; schools and universities pay $98,300 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $116,480 |
| Building equipment contractors | $113,290 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | $98,300 |
Most elevator and escalator mechanics work full time, may work overtime for emergency repairs or construction deadlines, and may be on call 24 hours a day. Building equipment contractors employ 89% of them. The work is physical: lifting items of up to 200 pounds, cramped machine rooms and crawl spaces, heights in elevator shafts, and heat, cold and grease (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Elevator work is a skilled trade, which the learned-professional exemption doesn't cover (29 CFR 541.301), so mechanics are owed time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor). Emergency call-outs and deadline overtime, both common in this job, come on top of the BLS figures, which exclude overtime and on-call pay.
The OOH says apprentices usually start at about 50% of what fully trained mechanics make and get raises as they progress. The table applies that half to the BLS median as a guide to starting pay and sets it beside the BLS pay levels for the whole occupation. The starting figure is arithmetic from the OOH's rule of thumb, not a separate BLS estimate.
| Level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Starting apprentice (about 50% of the median) | $26.42 | $54,955 |
| 10th percentile | $28.49 | $59,270 |
| 25th percentile | $38.12 | $79,290 |
| Median | $52.84 | $109,910 |
| 75th percentile | $65.25 | $135,720 |
| 90th percentile | $76.39 | $158,890 |
Nearly all elevator mechanics learn through an apprenticeship, typically 4 years, sponsored by a union, industry association or employer, with set hours of technical instruction and paid on-the-job training each year in safety, blueprints, applied physics, electrical and digital theory and electronics. A high school diploma is typically required, most states require a license, and mechanics can advance to mechanic-in-charge, adjuster or supervisor (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your elevator mechanic pay:
$109,910 a year ($52.84 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $79,290 to $135,720.
Maine ($69.08 an hour, $143,690 a year), then Nevada and California; Kentucky pays least among the 37 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
About half of what fully trained mechanics make at the start, rising as they progress, according to the OOH; apprentices who are also certified welders usually earn more while welding. The table on this page applies that half to the BLS median.
Among the trades on this site, yes: the BLS median for elevator and escalator mechanics is above linemen, electricians and plumbers. See all of them on the hourly pay by job page.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.