Career
Elevator & Escalator Technician
Field & Trades
Installs, maintains, and repairs the elevators and escalators that move people and freight through a building, one of the highest-paid trades most newcomers have never heard of.
What is a Elevator & Escalator Technician?
An Elevator & Escalator Technician, also called an elevator constructor or mechanic, installs new elevator and escalator systems as a building goes up and maintains, inspects, and repairs existing ones for the rest of a building's life. The work is safety-critical and specialized enough that it runs its own apprenticeship track separate from electricians or millwrights, and most states require a state elevator mechanic license on top of it before someone can work unsupervised.
What they do
- Install elevator cars, rails, motors, and control systems per manufacturer specifications
- Wire and test elevator control panels and safety systems before an elevator goes into service
- Perform scheduled maintenance and required safety testing on existing elevators and escalators
- Diagnose and repair mechanical and electrical elevator malfunctions
- Respond to entrapments and emergency service calls
- Coordinate with electricians and structural crews during new-building elevator shaft installation
A typical day
- 7:00 AMReview the day's service and installation schedule, and check parts/tools needed for each stop
- 8:00 AMRespond to a maintenance contract's scheduled inspection on an existing building's elevators
- 10:30 AMTest safety systems (governor, brakes, door interlocks) and log the results per code
- 12:30 PMMove to a new-construction site to continue wiring an elevator control panel mid-installation
- 3:00 PMTroubleshoot an entrapment call and get the car back in service
Skills
Electrical and mechanical troubleshootingReading elevator wiring diagrams and understanding elevator code (ASME A17.1)Working safely in confined shafts and at heightHydraulics and control systems knowledgeSafety-critical precision under time pressure (entrapment calls)
Software
Generally none; this is a hands-on field trade
Education
- Required:
- High school diploma or equivalent, then a union apprenticeship through the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC), delivered by NEIEP, typically four to five years combining roughly 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training per year with 100-200 hours of annual classroom instruction (about 8,000 OJT hours total). Completion leads to a mechanic exam, and most states then require a separate state elevator mechanic license; a number of states, including Idaho, Iowa, and Wyoming, don't mandate one at the state level, and licensing rules in this trade change often enough that it's worth confirming current requirements for any specific state.
- Helpful:
- The National Association of Elevator Contractors' Certified Elevator Technician (CET) credential, which some states accept in place of a state licensing exam
- Not necessary:
- A four-year college degree; this is an apprenticeship-and-license trade, not a degree-based one
Career progression
- 1.Apprentice Elevator Constructor
- 2.Journeyman Mechanic
- 3.Lead Mechanic or Adjuster (fine-tunes elevator ride quality and performance)
- 4.Superintendent or Elevator Contractor
Who hires for this role
Elevator and Escalator Contractors (major manufacturers and independent service companies)General Contractors (subcontract this work almost universally)Building Owners and Facilities Companies (for ongoing maintenance contracts)