Locksmiths and Safe Repairers
Repair and open locks, make keys, change locks and safe combinations, and install and repair safes.
What it pays
Locksmiths and Safe Repairers earn a median of $24.68/hr — about $51,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.08/hr; the top 10% earn $38.17/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Locksmiths and Safe Repairers earn a median of $24.68/hr — about $51,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.08/hr; the top 10% earn $38.17/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Cut new or duplicate keys, using key cutting machines.
- Disassemble mechanical or electrical locking devices, and repair or replace worn tumblers, springs, and other parts, using hand tools.
- Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines.
- Open safe locks by drilling.
- Install door hardware, such as locks and closers.
- Insert new or repaired tumblers into locks to change combinations.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 16.2% of locksmiths and safe repairers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a locksmiths and safe repairer make?
- The median pay is $24.68 per hour — roughly $51,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.08/hr (10th percentile) to $38.17/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a locksmiths and safe repairer?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a locksmiths and safe repairer actually do all day?
- Cut new or duplicate keys, using key cutting machines. Disassemble mechanical or electrical locking devices, and repair or replace worn tumblers, springs, and other parts, using hand tools. Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.