What Does a Locksmith Do?
Keypads and card readers have widened this trade. Locksmiths install and repair mechanical and electronic locks, design master key systems and open safes for homeowners, businesses, schools and hospitals. Some run an in-house lock shop that logs who holds each key.
Also known as: Lead Locksmith, Locksmith Supervisor
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Certified Professional Safe Technician (CPS), CML (Certified Master Locksmith), CMS (Certified Master Safecracker), Forensic Locksmith, Lock Technician (Lock Tech), Road Service Locksmith, RST (Registered Safe Technician), Safe Technician (Safe Tech).
Locksmith Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a locksmith include:
- Rekey locks when staff move offices, keys go missing or a building changes hands.
- Design and maintain master key systems, and keep records of who holds which key.
- Cut keys on code and duplicating machines, and stamp them for key control.
- Install and repair mortise locks, cylindrical locks, exit devices and door closers.
- Pin cylinders to match the master key chart for new doors and renovations.
- Open locked doors, desks, file cabinets and safes for authorized staff during lockouts.
- Service electrified locks and card readers alongside the access control team.
- Adjust doors that sag, rub or fail to latch so they close and lock every time.
- Change safe combinations and repair safe locks and boltwork.
- Issue keys against signed requests, and audit key returns when employees leave.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a locksmith, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Master keying and key control
- Lock mechanics: mortise, cylindrical and exit devices
- Key machines and code cutters
- Basic electrical skills for electrified hardware
- Discretion and trustworthiness, since many employers run background checks
- Careful record keeping
- Fine motor skills and patience
- State locksmith license where required
Education and Training
After high school, locksmiths usually learn the trade through long training on the job, but some start out by taking a locksmithing course at a trade school. Some states require locksmiths to be licensed. In a campus lock shop, progression to lead locksmith or supervisor may be slower, since those posts open only when someone leaves.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $43,160 - $64,560 per year, with a median of $51,320.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Locksmiths and Safe Repairers.
BLS projects employment of locksmiths and safe repairers to decline about 12 percent from 2025 to 2035, in part because keycards, keypads and smart locks are replacing more mechanical hardware. Even so, BLS still expects about 1,200 openings a year, mostly to replace locksmiths who retire. The field is small. A newcomer who can service not only pin tumbler locks but also card readers and electric strikes will have far more places to apply.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Locksmiths and safe repairers.
Locksmith Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $35,530 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $43,160 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $51,320 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $64,560 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $79,400 |
Highest-Paying States for Locksmiths
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($76,740), Connecticut ($69,280), Hawaii ($64,490), Delaware ($63,640), New York ($61,830). Pay is lowest in New Mexico ($41,920), Oklahoma ($38,680), Arkansas ($35,770).
Median pay in all 48 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,340 |
| Alaska | $58,390 |
| Arizona | $44,460 |
| Arkansas | $35,770 |
| California | $61,010 |
| Colorado | $47,500 |
| Connecticut | $69,280 |
| Delaware | $63,640 |
| District of Columbia | $76,740 |
| Florida | $49,120 |
| Georgia | $54,050 |
| Hawaii | $64,490 |
| Idaho | $43,460 |
| Illinois | $58,110 |
| Indiana | $47,640 |
| Iowa | $46,360 |
| Kansas | $52,930 |
| Kentucky | $51,120 |
| Louisiana | $46,550 |
| Maine | $52,670 |
| Maryland | $60,330 |
| Massachusetts | $59,420 |
| Michigan | $54,120 |
| Minnesota | $59,070 |
| Mississippi | $42,940 |
| Missouri | $50,140 |
| Montana | $56,200 |
| Nebraska | $49,070 |
| Nevada | $47,450 |
| New Hampshire | $56,510 |
| New Jersey | $57,000 |
| New Mexico | $41,920 |
| New York | $61,830 |
| North Carolina | $45,900 |
| North Dakota | $44,310 |
| Ohio | $47,760 |
| Oklahoma | $38,680 |
| Oregon | $50,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,160 |
| Rhode Island | $57,360 |
| South Carolina | $46,560 |
| Tennessee | $50,250 |
| Texas | $43,860 |
| Utah | $55,520 |
| Virginia | $53,590 |
| Washington | $58,010 |
| West Virginia | $56,690 |
| Wisconsin | $48,360 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as locksmiths and safe repairers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 96% are on the phone every day
- 88% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 81% use email every day
- 73% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 56% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 54% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 42% work outdoors in all kinds of weather every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 62% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 15% |
| Less than high school | 8% |
| Some college | 8% |
Tools and Software Locksmiths Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Repairing, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Active Listening, Speaking, Service Orientation.
Knowledge areas used most: Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Administration and Management.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Locksmith Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 49-9094.00 (Locksmiths and Safe Repairers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 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. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.