How much do locksmiths make in 2026?
Locksmiths earn a national median of $51,320 a year ($24.68 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 49-9094), with the bottom 10% at about $35,530 and the top 10% at $79,400. This is an exact occupational match and it comes with an uncomfortable projection: BLS expects employment to fall 8.3% by 2034, with roughly 1,700 openings a year, almost all replacing people who leave. The reason is visible in any commercial building — mechanical keying is being replaced by credentials, keypads and mobile access, and consumer lockouts increasingly go to automotive dealers or app-based services. What remains, and pays, is the institutional side: master-key systems for schools and hospitals, safe and vault work, door hardware and closers, and above all electronic access control installation and integration, which is where a traditional locksmith's knowledge of doors and frames becomes valuable alongside electronic skills. Ignoring that shift is the main financial risk in this trade. → Full locksmith career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $51,320 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Locksmiths earn a national median $51,320/yr ($24.68/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9094); the P10 to P90 range is $35,530 to $79,400.
- The locksmith code is an exact match: a $35,530 to $79,400 range, and BLS projects employment down 8.3% by 2034 with roughly 1,700 openings a year.
- Mechanical keying and consumer lockout work is shrinking as credentials, keypads and mobile access replace keys and dealers absorb automotive work.
- The paying future is institutional and electronic: master-key systems, door hardware, safes and vaults, and access-control installation and integration.
US Locksmith Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do locksmiths earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 49-9094; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9094, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a locksmith earn at each career stage?
Locksmith pay follows the move from keys to institutional hardware and electronic access. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 49-9094.
By State
Which states pay locksmiths the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Locksmith licensing is state-specific and inconsistent: some states license locksmiths with background checks and registration, others do not regulate the trade at all, and access-control work frequently falls under separate alarm or low-voltage licensing. That patchwork determines both who can trade and how easily unlicensed competition undercuts service rates.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($59,020), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay locksmiths the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a locksmith’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does locksmith pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Locksmiths sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify locksmith wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a locksmith actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Locksmith Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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