Locksmiths and Safe Repairers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for locksmiths and safe repairerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $55,470 ≈ $27/hr
National median salary $51,320
Total employment 15,040 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -8.3% Decline
Annual openings 1,700 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 18,800 → 17,200 (-1,600)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. District of Columbia$78,310
  2. Connecticut$69,750
  3. Massachusetts$67,510
  4. California$67,180
  5. Alaska$66,550

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Arkansas$38,730
  2. Texas$42,200
  3. Oklahoma$43,340
  4. Mississippi$43,400
  5. Alabama$43,730
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 District of Columbia $78,310 $76,740 $38 +41.2%
2 Connecticut $69,750 $69,280 $34 +25.7% 120
3 Massachusetts $67,510 $59,420 $32 +21.7% 300
4 California $67,180 $61,010 $32 +21.1% 2,060
5 Alaska $66,550 $58,390 $32 +20% 80
6 Delaware $65,090 $63,640 $31 +17.3% 50
7 West Virginia $63,930 $56,690 $31 +15.3% 50
8 New York $62,420 $61,830 $30 +12.5% 960
9 Maryland $62,050 $60,330 $30 +11.9% 270
10 Rhode Island $61,550 $57,360 $30 +11% 80
11 Washington $59,580 $58,010 $29 +7.4% 380
12 New Jersey $59,420 $57,000 $29 +7.1% 480
13 Oregon $59,010 $50,450 $28 +6.4% 250
14 Minnesota $58,230 $59,070 $28 +5% 220
15 Illinois $57,810 $58,110 $28 +4.2% 430

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 92 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 New Haven, CT $78,160 $75,360 30
2 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $74,320 $78,480 90
3 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $70,980 $72,210 40
4 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ $70,120 $69,670 60
5 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $65,370 $76,180 340
6 Urban Honolulu, HI $64,970 $58,470 40
7 Fresno, CA $63,770 $65,380 50
8 Stockton-Lodi, CA $62,930 $66,520 30
9 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $62,910 $66,560 170
10 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $62,050 $68,160 30

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing locksmiths and safe repairerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Scientific Research and Development Services $99,460 $96,480 50
2 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences $99,460 $96,480 50
3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $90,230 $84,200
4 Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $90,230 $84,200
5 Hospitals, State Government Owned $77,730 $73,810 90
6 Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals $77,730 $72,540 60
7 Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned $77,730 $72,770 60
8 Facilities Support Services $75,540 $75,490 170
9 Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $75,040 $75,380 430
10 Hospitals, Local Government Owned $72,020 $75,200 70
11 General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local Government Owned $72,020 $75,200 70
12 Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned $71,260 $69,440 50

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
11,037
$10-20k
2,461
$20-30k
1,712
$30-40k
5,018
$40-50k
3,922
$50-60k
3,763
$60-70k
2,220
$70-80k
2,460
$80-90k
1,215
$90-100k
543
$100-110k
129
$110-120k
46
$120-130k
232
$140-150k
89
$150-160k
215
$160-170k
16
$170-180k
44
$200k+
114

Pay by age band

16-24
$18,495
25-34
$35,277
35-44
$31,693
45-54
$51,655
55-64
$40,837
65+
$20,394

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$34,915
Some college, but less than 1 year
$37,304
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$32,987
Associates Degree
$41,326
Bachelors Degree
$25,537
GED or alternative credential
$43,932
12th grade - no diploma
$31,067
No schooling completed
$30,917
Grade 10
$37,281
Grade 11
$20,628
Grade 9
$25,802
Masters Degree
$37,162
Kindergarten
Grade 2
$15,293
Grade 5
$45,878
Grade 8
$17,638
Professional degree
$12,234

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
20,901 · $52,796
Part-time
3,328 · $25,798

Race / ethnicity

White
$32,484
Two or More Races
$44,371
Other
$28,216
Black
$28,769
American Indian
$68,890
Asian
$55,650

Top fields of study

General Business
$6,912
Accounting
$65,735
History
$10,961
Sociology
$11,855
Criminal Justice And Fire Protection
$35,581
Marketing And Marketing Research
$9,468
Music
$41,596
Business Economics

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Repairing
3.5
Critical Thinking
3.4
Time Management
3.3
Active Listening
3.1
Speaking
3.1
Quality Control Analysis
3.1
Service Orientation
3.1
Reading Comprehension
3.0
Operation and Control
3.0
Troubleshooting
3.0
Complex Problem Solving
3.0
Installation
3.0

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do locksmiths and safe repairers make in the U.S.?

The median locksmiths and safe repairers salary in the United States is $51,320 per year (mean $55,470), and about 80% earn between $35,530 and $79,400.

How much do locksmiths and safe repairers make per hour?

Roughly $27 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $55,470 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays locksmiths and safe repairers the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for locksmiths and safe repairers at $78,310 per year (median $76,740).

What is the job outlook for locksmiths and safe repairers?

Employment is projected to change -8.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 1,700 openings per year.