Elevator Installers and Repairers

Summary

What Elevator Installers and Repairers Do About this section

Mechanics check many parts, including the rails of an escalator.

Elevator installers and repairers install, fix, and maintain elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other lifts.

Duties

Elevator installers and repairers typically do the following:

• Read and interpret blueprints to determine the layout of system components and to select the equipment needed for installation or repair
• Assemble elevator cars, installing each car’s platform, walls, and doors
• Connect electrical wiring to control panels and electric motors
• Test newly installed equipment to ensure that it meets specifications
• Troubleshoot malfunctions in brakes, motors, switches, and control systems
• Dismantle elevator or escalator units in order to gain access to remove and replace defective parts, using hoists, ladders, and hand/power tools
• Repair and/or replace faulty components in order to return elevator to fully operational status
• Conduct preventive maintenance and inspections of elevators and escalators on a scheduled basis to ensure compliance with safety regulations and building codes
• Keep service records of all maintenance and repair tasks

Elevator installers and repairers, also called elevator constructors or elevator mechanics, assemble, install, maintain, and replace elevators, escalators, chairlifts, moving walkways, and similar equipment in buildings.

Elevator installers and repairers usually specialize in installation, maintenance, or repair work. Maintenance and repair workers generally require greater knowledge of electronics, hydraulics, and electricity than do installers because a large part of maintenance and repair work is troubleshooting. Most elevators have computerized control systems, resulting in more complex systems and troubleshooting than in the past.

After an elevator is installed, workers must regularly maintain and service it to keep the elevator working properly. They generally perform preventive maintenance, such as oiling and greasing moving parts, replacing worn parts, and adjusting equipment for optimal performance. They also troubleshoot and may be called to perform emergency repairs. Workers who specialize in elevator maintenance typically service many of the same elevators on multiple occasions over time.

A service crew usually handles major repairs—for example, replacing cables, elevator doors, or machine bearings. These tasks may require the use of cutting torches or rigging equipment—tools that an elevator repairer would not normally carry. Service crews also perform major modernization and alteration work, such as replacing electric motors, hydraulic pumps, and control panels.

Work Environment About this section

Elevator mechanics also work on chair lifts.

Elevator installers and repairers held about 22,100 jobs in 2016. The largest employers of elevator installers and repairers were as follows:

Elevator installers and repairers have a physically demanding job. They sit or stand for extensive periods, lift items that can weigh 50–200 pounds, work in cramped quarters inside crawl spaces and machine rooms, and may be exposed to heights in elevator shafts. They also work in dusty and dirty places with oily and greasy equipment in hot or cold environments.

Although installation and major repairs require mechanics to work in teams, workers often work alone when troubleshooting minor problems.

Injuries and Illnesses

Elevator installers and repairers may suffer falls from ladders, burns due to electrical shocks, and muscle strains from lifting and carrying heavy equipment. As a result, workers must take precaution and wear protective equipment such as hardhats, harnesses, and safety glasses.

Work Schedules

Almost all elevator installers and repairers work full time. They may work overtime when emergency repairs need to be made or construction deadlines need to be met. Workers may be on call 24 hours a day.

How to Become an Elevator Installer and Repairer About this section

The fine tuning of an elevator is done by an adjustor.

Nearly all elevator installers and repairers learn through an apprenticeship. Currently, 35 states require workers to be licensed.

Education

High school classes in math, mechanical drawing, and shop may help applicants compete for apprenticeship openings.

Training

A career in elevator installation and repair typically begins with a 4-year apprenticeship program sponsored by a union, industry association, or individual contractor. For each year of the program, apprentices typically receive at least 144 hours of technical instruction and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. During training, apprentices learn about safety, blueprint reading, mathematics, applied physics, elevator and escalator parts, electrical and digital theory, and electronics.

The basic qualifications to enter an apprenticeship program are the following:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Possess a high school diploma or equivalent
• Be physically able to do the job
• Pass basic math, reading, and mechanical aptitude tests

When they finish the apprenticeship program, elevator installers and repairers are fully trained and become mechanics or assistant mechanics. Ongoing training is important for elevator installers and repairers in order to keep up with technological developments throughout their careers.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Currently, 35 states require elevator installers and repairers to be licensed. Check with your state for more information.

Although not required, certification can show competence and proficiency in the field.

Elevator installers and repairers can become certified as Certified Elevator Technicians (CET) or Certified Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technicians (CAT) through the National Association of Elevator Contractors. They can also be certified as Qualified Elevator Inspectors (QEI) through the National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities.

Advancement

Some installers may receive additional training in specialized areas and advance to become a mechanic-in-charge, adjuster, supervisor, or elevator inspector.

Important Qualities

Detail oriented. Elevator installers must keep accurate records of their service schedules. These records are used to schedule future maintenance, which helps reduce breakdowns.

Mechanical skills. Elevator installers use a variety of power tools and hand tools to install and repair lifts. Escalators, for example, run on tracks that must be installed using wrenches and screwdrivers.

Physical stamina. Elevators installers must be able to perform strenuous work, especially in cramped and confined spaces, for long periods.

Physical strength. Elevator installers often lift heavy equipment and parts, including escalator steps, conduit, and metal tracks. Some apprentices must be able to lift 100 pounds in order to participate in a training program.

Troubleshooting skills. Elevator installers and repairers must be able to diagnose and repair problems. When an escalator stops moving, for example, mechanics determine why it stopped and make the necessary repairs.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage for elevator installers and repairers was $79,780 in May 2018. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,850, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $121,200.

In May 2018, the median annual wages for elevator installers and repairers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

The starting pay for apprentices is usually 50 percent of what fully trained elevator installers and repairers make. They earn pay increases as they progress in their apprenticeship. Apprentices who are also certified welders usually receive higher wages while welding. Assistant mechanics, by contract, receive 80 percent of the rate paid to journeyman elevator installers and repairers.

Almost all elevator installers and repairers work full time. They may work overtime when emergency repairs need to be made or construction deadlines need to be met. Workers may be on call 24 hours a day.

Union Membership

Most elevator installers and repairers belong to a union. Although no single union covers all elevator installers and repairers, the largest organizer of these workers is the International Union of Elevator Constructors.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of elevator installers and repairers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.

Demand for these workers is closely tied to nonresidential construction, such as office buildings and stores that have elevators and escalators, and this type of construction is expected to increase during the next decade.

In addition, the need to regularly maintain, update, and repair old equipment; provide access for the disabled; and install increasingly sophisticated equipment and controls will maintain demand for elevator installers and repairers.

Job Prospects

The high wages of elevator installers and repairers will attract many applicants, and jobseekers may face strong competition.

Job opportunities for entry-level workers should be best for those who have postsecondary education in electronics.

Elevators, escalators, lifts, moving walkways, and related equipment need to work year round, so employment of elevator repairers is less affected by economic downturns and seasonality than employment in other construction occupations.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

• Elevator installers and repairers

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For information about apprenticeships or job opportunities as an elevator installer or repairer, contact local elevator contractors, a local chapter of the International Union of Elevator Constructors, a local joint union–management apprenticeship committee, or the nearest office of your state employment service or apprenticeship agency. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program online or by phone at 877-872-5627.

For more information about elevator installers and repairers, visit

International Union of Elevator Constructors

National Elevator Industry Educational Program

For more information about the NAEC Apprenticeship Program, the Certified Elevator Technician program, or the Certified Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technician program, visit

National Association of Elevator Contractors 

For more information about certification as a Qualified Elevator Inspector, visit

National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities

O*NET

Elevator Installers and Repairers