Career
Locksmiths and safe repairers
Install and repair locks and safes.
$51,320
Median pay
-11.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,200
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Repairing, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Service Orientation.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though long-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $51,320 a year and 1,200 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Locksmithing and Safe RepairCIP 47.0403
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Mechanical Door Repairers$55,720 · +6.4%
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers$39,630 · +5.3%
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers$109,910 · +5.7%
- Helpers--Electricians$42,670 · +0.6%
- Millwrights$65,700 · +0.9%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.