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Locksmith: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$51,320median pay per year, or $24.68 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $35,530lowest 10% earn less
  2. $43,16025th percentile
  3. $51,320median
  4. $64,56075th percentile
  5. $79,400top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Locksmiths and safe repairers had median pay of $51,320 a year in May 2025[1]. BLS projects employment to fall 11.7% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-11.7%[2]
Openings per year
1,200[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do locksmiths make?

The median wage for locksmiths and safe repairers was $51,320 a year, or $24.68 an hour[1]. Half earned more and half earned less. The average was $55,470 a year, or $26.67 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[4], so the typical locksmith earned a little more than the typical US worker.

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,530 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $79,400[3]. By the hour, those two boundaries were $17.08 and $38.17[8].

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[3][8] $35,530 $17.08
25th[3][8] $43,160 $20.75
Median[1] $51,320 $24.68
75th[3][8] $64,560 $31.04
90th[3][8] $79,400 $38.17

A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[9]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed and do not include benefits or certain bonuses[10]. That matters here, because 18.5% of locksmiths and safe repairers were self-employed in 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

The District of Columbia had the highest median wage at $76,740, followed by Connecticut at $69,280 and Hawaii at $64,490[12]. Arkansas was last in the list at $35,770[12]. Job counts are small in many states, so a state median may rest on only a few dozen jobs[12].

The most jobs were in California (2,060), Florida (1,440) and Texas (1,420)[13]. Among metro areas, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA had the highest median at $65,370, then Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $62,910 and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $61,830[14]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs, at 960[15].

Show median pay in 47 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[12]$76,740n/a
Connecticut$69,280120
Hawaii$64,49050
Delaware$63,64050
New York$61,830960
California$61,0102,060
Maryland$60,330270
Massachusetts$59,420300
Minnesota$59,070220
Alaska$58,39080
Illinois$58,110430
Washington$58,010380
Rhode Island$57,36080
New Jersey$57,000480
West Virginia$56,69050
New Hampshire$56,51040
Montana$56,200110
Utah$55,520180
Michigan$54,120230
Georgia$54,050330
Virginia$53,590430
Kansas$52,930110
Maine$52,670140
Pennsylvania$52,160530
Kentucky$51,120120
Oregon$50,450250
Tennessee$50,250340
Missouri$50,140220
Florida$49,1201,440
Nebraska$49,07050
Wisconsin$48,360130
Ohio$47,760400
Indiana$47,640250
Colorado$47,500380
Nevada$47,450170
South Carolina$46,560140
Louisiana$46,550190
Iowa$46,360120
North Carolina$45,900480
Arizona$44,460260
North Dakota$44,31070
Texas$43,8601,420
Idaho$43,460150
Alabama$43,340200
Mississippi$42,94080
New Mexico$41,920140
Oklahoma$38,680180
Arkansas$35,770100

How to become a locksmith

The typical path asks for a high school diploma or equivalent, no work experience in a related job, and long-term on-the-job training[6]. The facts we have do not say how many years that training takes, and they do not list license requirements.

In an O*NET survey of 26 workers, 62% said a high school diploma or equivalent was required[16]. Another 15% named a post-secondary certificate, and 8% each named less than a high school diploma or some college courses[16]. Treat these as survey answers from a small group.

What locksmiths do

O*NET describes the job as repairing and opening locks, making keys, changing locks and safe combinations, and installing and repairing safes[17]. Typical tasks include:

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of locksmiths and safe repairers to decline 11.7% from 2025 to 2035. That would cut about 2,200 jobs, from roughly 18,700 to 16,500[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5%[19]. These counts include self-employed workers[2].

BLS lists falling demand as a factor. Smart locks, phone apps, key kiosks and voice-activated locks mean fewer people need a locksmith to open a lock or copy a key[20].

Still, BLS expects about 1,200 openings a year on average[5]. Openings come from retirements and moves to other occupations as well as new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.9% of workers leave the labor force and 4.1% move to a different occupation[21].

Is it a good fit?

The facts point to a job that asks for a high school diploma or equivalent and long-term on-the-job training[6]. Pay is a little above the all-occupations median[1][4]. The number of jobs is projected to shrink, with technology cutting some of the demand[2][20]. Openings from turnover continue, though the total is small[5].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[22].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a locksmith make an hour?
The median was $24.68 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $26.67[1][7].
What education do you need to be a locksmith?
The typical entry level is a high school diploma or equivalent, followed by long-term on-the-job training[6].
Is locksmithing in demand?
BLS projects an 11.7% decline from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% growth for all occupations, with about 1,200 openings a year[2][19][5].
Which state pays locksmiths the most?
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $76,740 a year[12]. Connecticut was next at $69,280[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers in the US was $51,320 per year and $24.68 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Locksmiths and Safe Repairers is projected to decline 11.7% from 2025 to 2035, from about 18,700 to 16,500 jobs (a change of -2,200). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers: 10th percentile $35,530, 25th percentile $43,160, 75th percentile $64,560, 90th percentile $79,400. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,200 openings for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Locksmiths and Safe Repairers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers was $55,470 per year and $26.67 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers: 10th percentile $17.08, 25th percentile $20.75, 75th percentile $31.04, 90th percentile $38.17. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 18.5% of Locksmiths and Safe Repairers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. Median annual wage for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Locksmiths and Safe Repairers jobs: California 2,060; Florida 1,440; Texas 1,420; New York 960; Pennsylvania 530. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $65,370; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $62,910; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $61,830; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $61,500; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $60,850; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $60,720; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $59,410; Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $59,270. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Locksmiths and Safe Repairers jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 960 (median $61,830); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 760 (median $57,320); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 400 (median $51,470); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 390 (median $47,370); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 360 (median $37,250); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 340 (median $65,370). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 49-9094.00 survey of workers (26 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 62%, Post-Secondary Certificate 15%, Less than a High School Diploma 8%, Some College Courses 8% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET description of Locksmiths and Safe Repairers. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers. O*NET OnLine
  19. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  20. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Locksmiths and Safe Repairers: Demand change - share decreases as new smart locks, apps on smart phones, key kiosks, and voice-activated locks reduce the need to hire a locksmith to open locks or create key copies. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers: 3.9% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.1% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  22. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.