Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters. The role reports a median annual salary of $106,580 in the US and is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows low AI exposure (0.39 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £39,647 a year for Electricians and electrical fitters (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £32,287 to £49,138 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5241). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Elevator and escalator installers and repairers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification ITI trade 'Lift and Escalator Mechanic' (2 years, after Class 10) under the Craftsmen Training Scheme[1][2]
- 2 · Certification Pass the all-India trade test to get the National Trade Certificate (NTC) from DGT[1]
- 3 · First role Lift and escalator mechanic / electrical fitter[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- DGT — Lift and Escalator Mechanic trade syllabus (Craftsmen Training Scheme) (read on 2026-09-27)
- DGT — List of CTS courses (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Building and Construction
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
A day in the life
You start your day at a busy office building where a lift has stopped between floors. After making sure no one is trapped, you use test equipment to trace the problem to a faulty door switch and replace it. Then you move to a shopping centre for a routine service on an escalator, checking brakes, chains and safety controls and lubricating moving parts. Mid-morning you inspect wiring and door alignments on another lift and fill in a service report confirming it meets safety standards. After lunch you join a team installing a new lift in an apartment block, assembling rails and cables in the shaft with power tools and harnesses. Late afternoon you adjust counterweights and test the new lift again and again. The work involves heights, tight spaces and heavy lifting, but knowing people move safely every day because of your work is very satisfying.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Inspect wiring connections, control panel hookups, door installations, and alignments and clearances of cars and hoistways to ensure that equipment will operate properly.
- Assemble, install, repair, and maintain elevators, escalators, moving sidewalks, and dumbwaiters, using hand and power tools, and testing devices such as test lamps, ammeters, and voltmeters.
- Disassemble defective units, and repair or replace parts such as locks, gears, cables, and electric wiring.
- Check that safety regulations and building codes are met, and complete service reports verifying conformance to standards.
- Locate malfunctions in brakes, motors, switches, and signal and control systems, using test equipment.
- Adjust safety controls, counterweights, door mechanisms, and components such as valves, ratchets, seals, and brake linings.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Elevator and escalator installers and repairers do?
Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.
What does a typical day look like in Elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
You start your day at a busy office building where a lift has stopped between floors. After making sure no one is trapped, you use test equipment to trace the problem to a faulty door switch and replace it. Then you move to a shopping centre for a routine service on an escalator, checking brakes, chains and safety controls and lubricating moving parts. Mid-morning you inspect wiring and door alignments on another lift and fill in a service report confirming it meets safety standards.
How much does Elevator and escalator installers and repairers earn?
The median annual salary for Elevator and escalator installers and repairers in the US is $106,580.
What is the job outlook for Elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 24,200 workers.
How do I become elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Elevator and escalator installers and repairers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
Our AI-durability model gives Elevator and escalator installers and repairers a score of 0.39 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.