Installation & service
Elevator Mechanic
The best-paid trade almost nobody thinks to enter.
Typical pay
$70k-$140k
How you get in
4-5 year apprenticeship (NEIEP)
Outlook
Strong; construction and modernization both steady
Average openings
45/100Fewer openings per worker than the average job, and the field is growing.
JobPOVs index, calculated from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025-2035 for Elevator and escalator installers and repairers. It measures how many openings arise each year relative to the size of the field — not how many people apply. BLS does not publish a saturation figure.
Elevator constructors install, service and modernize elevators and escalators. It is consistently among the highest-paid construction trades, and the apprenticeship is correspondingly hard to get into.
A day in the life
6:30a – 3:30p · 9 hours
- 6:30aCheck the service route and any overnight callbacks
- 7:30aPreventive maintenance in a machine room
- 10:00aTroubleshoot a door operator fault
- 12:00pLunch
- 1:00pEntrapment call — passengers stuck between floors
- 3:30pAdjust and test, then log the work
How to get in
Union apprenticeship (IUEC)
Duration
4-5 years
Cost
$0 — paid while you train
Credential
Journeyman elevator constructor, plus state licensure where required
- Watch for the IUEC application window — it opens rarely and fills fast
- Pass the aptitude test and interview; competition is intense
- Complete 4-5 years of paid on-the-job training plus NEIEP coursework
- Pass the mechanic examination for full journeyman status
Helper with a non-union contractor
Duration
3-5 years
Cost
$0
Credential
State elevator mechanic license where required
- Get hired as a helper with an independent elevator company
- Accumulate documented hours under a licensed mechanic
- Complete required coursework and safety training
- Sit for your state's elevator mechanic licensing exam
Related trade transfer
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$0
Credential
Journeyman card
- Work as an electrician or millwright first
- Apply with mechanical and electrical experience already documented
- Some experience may shorten the apprenticeship
- A realistic backdoor when direct apprenticeship applications are closed
What people love
- · Among the highest pay of any trade
- · Excellent union benefits and pension
- · Indoor work, largely climate controlled
- · Service work is recession-resistant
What wears people down
- · Apprenticeship slots are extremely competitive
- · On-call rotations for entrapments
- · Serious hazards in hoistways
- · Confined spaces and heights