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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

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

  1. 6:30aCheck the service route and any overnight callbacks
  2. 7:30aPreventive maintenance in a machine room
  3. 10:00aTroubleshoot a door operator fault
  4. 12:00pLunch
  5. 1:00pEntrapment call — passengers stuck between floors
  6. 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

  1. Watch for the IUEC application window — it opens rarely and fills fast
  2. Pass the aptitude test and interview; competition is intense
  3. Complete 4-5 years of paid on-the-job training plus NEIEP coursework
  4. 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

  1. Get hired as a helper with an independent elevator company
  2. Accumulate documented hours under a licensed mechanic
  3. Complete required coursework and safety training
  4. Sit for your state's elevator mechanic licensing exam

Related trade transfer

Duration

2-4 years

Cost

$0

Credential

Journeyman card

  1. Work as an electrician or millwright first
  2. Apply with mechanical and electrical experience already documented
  3. Some experience may shorten the apprenticeship
  4. 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

From people doing it

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