Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers

Repair and open locks, make keys, change locks and safe combinations, and install and repair safes.

MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES

A wage reference for United States.

Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.

Source wage group: Locksmiths and Safe Repairers

This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Locksmiths and Safe Repairers. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.

May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.

Median annual wage$51,320USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$24.68USD per hour · Published 50th percentile

Annual wage thresholds

USD per year

Hourly wage thresholds

USD per hour

Published occupational wage percentiles · United States · May 2025
PercentileAnnual wage (USD/year)Hourly wage (USD/hour)
10th$35,530$17.08
25th$43,160$20.75
50th · Median$51,320$24.68
75th$64,560$31.04
90th$79,400$38.17

“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.

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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE

What this career involves.

Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.

Selected title examples

Access Control Technician (Access Control Tech)Certified Professional Safe Technician (CPS)CML (Certified Master Locksmith)CMS (Certified Master Safecracker)Commercial Vault AssociateForensic LocksmithKey MakerKey Technician (Key Tech)KeysmithLock ExpertLock FitterLock Setter
Expand more title examples (17)
Lock Technician (Lock Tech)LockmakerLocksmithLocksmith Tech (Locksmith Technician)Road Service LocksmithRST (Registered Safe Technician)Safe and Vault Service MechanicSafe ExpertSafe InstallerSafe MechanicSafe Service MechanicSafe Technician (Safe Tech)Time Lock ExpertVault InstallerVault MechanicVault Service MechanicVault Technician (Vault Tech)

Typical tasks

  • Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines.
  • Insert new or repaired tumblers into locks to change combinations.
  • Move picklocks in cylinders to open door locks without keys.
  • Cut new or duplicate keys, using key cutting machines.
  • Open safe locks by drilling.
  • Set up and maintain master key systems.
Expand more tasks (8)
  • Install door hardware, such as locks and closers.
  • Keep records of company locks and keys.
  • Disassemble mechanical or electrical locking devices, and repair or replace worn tumblers, springs, and other parts, using hand tools.
  • Repair and adjust safes, vault doors, and vault components, using hand tools, lathes, drill presses, and welding and acetylene cutting apparatus.
  • Install alarm and electronic access systems.
  • Install safes, vault doors, and deposit boxes according to blueprints, using equipment such as power drills, taps, dies, truck cranes, and dollies.
  • Unlock cars and other vehicles.
  • Remove interior and exterior finishes on safes and vaults, and spray on new finishes.

Skills used in this work

Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Expand more skills (29)
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Installation
Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Equipment Selection
Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Management of Material Resources
Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Management of Financial Resources
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Technology Design
Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
Programming
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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Sources and citation.

Cite this page: Wages.fyi, “Locksmiths and Safe Repairers career and wage guide.” Link to this Wages.fyi page

This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wages.fyi has selected and organized this information and added wage navigation and explanations. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Database license and attribution requirements.

Official occupation profile · Official wage reference . Wage reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service. Source data and publication dates can differ from the date this page is accessed.