An elevator technician keeps a route of elevators, escalators and wheelchair lifts running in offices, hospitals and apartment buildings. They do scheduled maintenance, fix breakdowns and stuck cars, and log every visit in each unit's maintenance records.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, other building equipment contractors · BLS, May 2025
The Elevator Technician is responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of elevators through routine maintenance, repairs, and inspections according to established guidelines. This role supports the company’s commitment to safety and customer satisfaction while contributing to the overall efficiency of our operations.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Perform routine maintenance on elevator systems to ensure optimal performance and safety.
Conduct thorough inspections and troubleshoot malfunctioning components.
Execute repair work as required in accordance with industry standards and manufacturer guidelines.
Document service activities and maintain accurate records of maintenance and repair work.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Inspect elevator systems at scheduled intervals and address issues immediately.
Interact with customers to answer questions and provide updates on service progress.
Coordinate with team members and management to prioritize service calls and maintenance schedules.
Verify safety protocols are followed during all maintenance and repair activities.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Maintenance Completion Rate: 100% of scheduled tasks completed on time.
Callback Percentage: Less than 5% callbacks due to unresolved issues.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Greater than 4.8 stars on post-service surveys.
Response Time: Achieve initial response within 2 hours for emergency service calls.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent with relevant technical training.
Valid certifications in elevator maintenance and safety procedures.
Strong problem-solving abilities with attention to detail.
Effective communication and customer service skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience working as an elevator technician or in a similar technical role.
3+ years of experience in elevator maintenance or building systems maintenance.
Familiarity with both modern and legacy elevator technologies.
Experience with computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work in physically demanding environments.
Comfortable working in confined spaces and at heights as required.
Endurance to stand, climb stairs, and perform manual tasks throughout the day.
Capability to perform repetitive tasks safely and efficiently.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday with occasional weekend on-call duties.
Work may occur in various environments including indoor facilities and outdoor sites.
Occasional travel to different customer locations is expected.
May require flexible scheduling during emergencies or after-hours maintenance.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $45,000 - $65,000 USD per year depending on experience.
Eligibility for performance and safety bonuses.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans provided.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and growth. We believe in empowering our employees to reach their full potential while delivering exceptional customer service. Our team is dedicated to continuous improvement, professional development, and creating a supportive work environment where every contribution is valued. We invite you to join us on this journey and help shape the future of elevator maintenance and safety.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Most service techs fix things a customer owns. An elevator technician works on equipment the public rides, under a state license in most places and a safety code that inspectors enforce.
A license in most states
Most states require elevator installers and repairers to hold a license, according to BLS, and each state writes its own. New York requires an elevator mechanic license for anyone who works on an elevator. Washington issues a general license plus narrower ones, each with its own mix of experience and schooling. Check the rule in every state your routes cross before you hire someone from somewhere else. Source: New York State Department of Labor: Elevator licensing information.
Two main ways into the trade
Most mechanics learn through an apprenticeship. The union route is NEIEP, part of the IUEC's training: four to five years of paid work and classes, with the mechanic exam open once an apprentice has 8,000 hours and all the courses. Independent contractors can register their own program on the model of NAEC's CET apprenticeship, which the U.S. Labor Department approved. Source: National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP).
The maintenance record stays with the car
Each unit keeps its own records on site. Washington's maintenance control program form, keyed to the ASME A17.1 code, lists maintenance records, repair and replacement records, a code non-compliance record and a callback record for each car, kept for five years. A tech who skips the log leaves the next mechanic and the inspector guessing. Source: Washington L&I: Maintenance control program form, hydraulic elevators (F621-123-000).
Firefighter service gets tested too
Cars with firefighters' emergency operation get tested on a schedule. Washington's rule calls for a quarterly Phase I recall with the key switch and at least one floor of Phase II operation. Problems go to the building owner, and a licensed mechanic fixes them. Schedules differ in other states and cities, so follow the rule where the car is. Source: Washington Administrative Code 296-96-00675.
Shafts, machine rooms and live circuits
BLS lists falls, electrical burns and strains as the job's main injury risks. The work happens at height in elevator shafts and in cramped machine rooms, sometimes hot, cold or oily. Teach your own written steps for getting into the hoistway and locking out power, and check them on real jobs. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Elevator and escalator installers and repairers.
How much elevator technicians make
The closest BLS group for elevator technicians is elevator and escalator installers and repairers. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers who work for other building equipment contractors earned a median of $54.46 an hour ($113,270 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $109,910 median for elevator and escalator installers and repairers in all industries. About 21,100 of the 23,790 elevator and escalator installers and repairers in that survey work for other building equipment contractors.
This template is salaried, with performance and safety bonuses. Its range falls well short of what BLS reports for elevator mechanics here, so check it against local offers and the union local's wage before you post.
Other building equipment contractors
$113,270$113,270 median Middle half $81,870–$136,320 10th–90th $61,180–$160,420
All industries
$109,910$109,910 median Middle half $79,290–$135,720 10th–90th $59,270–$158,890
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Other building equipment contractors
$61,180
$81,870
$113,270
$136,320
$160,420
All industries
$59,270
$79,290
$109,910
$135,720
$158,890
BLS doesn’t publish pay for elevator contractors on their own. These figures cover other building equipment contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Holds the elevator mechanic license your state requires, or is close to earning it
Traces faults on relay and microprocessor controllers from wiring diagrams
Services traction and hydraulic cars, plus escalators or lifts if you maintain them
Follows lockout and hoistway access steps on every call, even a quick one
Stays calm and clear with building staff and riders after an entrapment
Teach these on the job
Your maintenance control program and how each visit gets logged
Controller brands on your route they haven't serviced before
Your service app or CMMS
Your process for callbacks and stuck-car calls
Escalator or wheelchair lift work, if they came from elevators only
Route mechanics carry meters, hand and power tools, and a laptop or handheld for controller diagnostics. O*NET lists computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and elevator troubleshooting software among this trade's software. List the controller makers on your route, since a mechanic strong on one brand can need time on another.
Elevator technician interview questions
Two of the 7 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Entrapment rescue
You arrive at an entrapment. The car is stuck between floors with [two] passengers, and the building manager wants you to pry the doors open now. What do you do?
A strong answer: Talks to the passengers and checks for injuries, finds the car's position and cause, follows the company rescue procedure to bring the car to a landing safely, and never lets people climb out between floors.
Behavioral · Diagnosing intermittent faults
Tell me about an intermittent problem you finally fixed, such as doors that reopened at random. How did you find it?
A strong answer: Gathered history, watched for the pattern, tested one cause at a time and confirmed the fix held.
Look back over a quarter of route and callback logs to pick each target, then hold every mechanic to the same counting rules.
Maintenance Completion Rate
The share of the month's scheduled maintenance tasks on the mechanic's units finished on time, taken from each car's maintenance records.
Callback Percentage
Trouble calls that come in on a unit inside your callback window after the mechanic serviced it, compared with all their visits. Read the callback record car by car to spot repeat faults.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Short surveys to property managers and building engineers after repairs and entrapments. Read the comments about door trouble, noise, and whether the tech explained what happened.
Response Time
Minutes from the dispatcher's call to the tech arriving on site, from your service app. Report calls with riders trapped apart from cars that are down but empty.
Career path
Apprentice or helperLearns under a licensed mechanic while finishing a registered program.
Elevator technicianRuns a maintenance route and handles trouble calls alone.
In most states, yes. Washington accepts a passed NEIEP or NAEC CET mechanic exam, a registered apprenticeship, or experience and schooling plus an exam. California certifies mechanics as Certified Competent Conveyance Mechanics, and the mechanic must work for a certified conveyance company. Ask each applicant for their license or certificate number and look it up with the state.
How much does an elevator technician make?
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers who work for other building equipment contractors earned a median of $54.46 an hour ($113,270 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $81,870 and $136,320 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What should a technician do when someone is stuck in an elevator?
Follow your company's written rescue procedure and the code, with no shortcuts. The tech keeps talking with the riders from the moment they arrive and logs the cause afterward so the fault gets fixed. When interviewing, have them describe a past entrapment and what they wrote down after it.
Union or non-union: does it matter when hiring?
It changes where you find people and how pay is set. In a union shop, the local's contract sets the wage before you post. Non-union shops train their own apprentices or hire from other independent shops. Either route can lead to a state license: New York, for one, accepts NAEC's CET certificate, a registered apprenticeship or a passed NEIEP mechanic exam. Say in the post which kind of shop you run.
How many elevators can one technician handle?
It depends on the mix. A route of busy hospital and office traction cars takes more hours than one of low-rise hydraulic cars in apartment buildings. Build routes from the hours each unit's maintenance tasks need, leave room for trouble calls, and check the plan against completion rates after a quarter.
