What is the salary and career path for a locksmith?
Locksmiths are reported under Locksmiths and Safe Repairers (SOC 49-9094), an exact occupational match. The occupation shows a median of $51,320/yr ($24.68/hr) in the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, with $35,530 at the 10th percentile and $79,400 at the 90th. BLS Employment Projections show a -8.3% change over 2024-2034 with roughly 1,700 openings a year, a decline driven by electronic and keyless entry systems displacing traditional mechanical lock work. Only some states license locksmiths; the trade is otherwise structured around apprenticeship with an established shop and voluntary ALOA certification.
- Locksmiths earn a national median $51,320/yr ($24.68/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9094, an exact occupational match); the top 10% clear $79,400.
- Entry is on-the-job with an established shop plus ALOA or manufacturer training - there is no construction-style registered apprenticeship, and only a minority of states license locksmiths.
- BLS Employment Projections show a -8.3% change 2024-2034 with about 1,700 openings a year, as electronic and keyless entry displaces traditional mechanical lock work.
- The pay and durability are in the specialisations: electronic access control, safe and vault work, and automotive key programming rather than general residential rekeying.
Career Path
How do you become a locksmith?
Locksmith trainee
Rekeying, cutting keys, and assisting on service calls while learning cylinder and hardware types under an experienced locksmith; entry pay sits near the SOC 49-9094 10th percentile of $35,530.
Locksmith
Running service calls independently - lockouts, hardware installation, rekeys and basic master keying; around the BLS national median of $51,320.
Commercial / access control specialist
Designing master key systems and installing electronic access control, door closers and exit devices for commercial clients; tracks toward the 75th percentile of $64,560.
Safe technician / shop owner
Certified safe and vault technicians and independent shop owners reach the 90th percentile at $79,400, with business margin above wage for owners.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays locksmiths the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9094. National median: $51,320. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does locksmith pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles locksmiths most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: locksmiths rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected −8.3% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly locksmiths clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9094 (locksmiths) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do locksmiths need?
Required only in some states and cities. Where it exists, it generally involves a background check, fingerprinting, insurance or bonding, and sometimes an examination, administered by a state licensing agency rather than a trade board. See all state licences →
The Associated Locksmiths of America voluntary certification ladder, earned by examination across defined subject categories; the primary recognised competency signal in a largely unlicensed trade.
The Safe and Vault Technicians Association credential for safe opening, servicing and vault work - a distinct and higher-rate specialisation within the occupation.
Electronic lock and access control manufacturers certify installers on their platforms, which is often a contractual requirement for commercial installation and warranty work.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do locksmiths use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 49-9094
Salary Levers
How do locksmiths earn above the $51,320 BLS median?
Moving from mechanical into electronic access control
General residential rekey work sits near the $35,530 10th percentile, while commercial access control installation and integration - the growing segment - moves toward the $64,560 75th percentile.
Safe and vault certification
Safe opening and vault servicing is specialised, equipment-intensive and much less exposed to keyless-entry substitution, supporting rates near the $79,400 90th percentile.
Automotive key and immobiliser work
Transponder and smart key programming requires costly diagnostic equipment and subscriptions, which limits competition and raises per-job billing relative to residential work.
Shop ownership and commercial contracts
Recurring institutional and property-management contracts, plus owning the business rather than working a truck for one, are what carry earnings above the wage distribution entirely.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a locksmith worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9094. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Locksmith Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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