Elevator mechanic salary in California
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Elevator mechanics in California earn a median of $141,180 a year, or $67.88 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $173,920. That's 28% more than the national median of $109,910, 3rd of 37 states and DC.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $35.90/hr
- Jobs in California
- 1,910
- After cost of living
- $127,510
- Median hourly pay
- $67.88/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +28%
- Rank among states
- 3rd of 37
Apprentice to top elevator mechanic pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $74,670–$120,900$35.90–$58.12/hr | |
| Mechanic | $141,180$67.88/hr | |
| Top earners | $161,230–$173,920$77.52–$83.62/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
Pay over time
The median elevator mechanic wage in California rose 23.2%, from $114,550 in May 2021 to $141,180 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 3.2%.
| Year | Median a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $114,550 | $55.07/hr |
| May 2022 | $126,840 | $60.98/hr |
| May 2023 | $134,320 | $64.58/hr |
| May 2024 | $137,340 | $66.03/hr |
| May 2025 | $141,180 | $67.88/hr |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, each May release; inflation from the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, May of each year). BLS cautions against reading much into year-to-year changes, so we compare the first and last years. How we compare years
How California compares
- Elevator mechanics are less concentrated in California than nationally: 0.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.69 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $173,920, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $74,670: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Other trades in California
Questions
- How much do elevator mechanics make in California?
- Elevator mechanics in California earn a median of $141,180 a year, or $67.88 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $173,920.
- How much do elevator mechanics make an hour in California?
- The median hourly wage is $67.88. The middle half earn between $58.12 and $77.52 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice elevator mechanics make in California?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $35.90 an hour ($74,670 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $58.12.
- Has elevator mechanic pay gone up in California?
- The median elevator mechanic wage in California rose 23.2%, from $114,550 in May 2021 to $141,180 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 3.2%. (BLS wage data and Consumer Price Index.)
- Where in California do elevator mechanics earn the most?
- Among California metro areas, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara has the highest median at $173,920 a year, and Fresno the lowest at $126,110.
- Do elevator mechanics in California earn more than the national average?
- The California median of $141,180 is 28% more than the U.S. median of $109,910. Prices in California run 11% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $127,510 would nationally.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 47-4021 (Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers), area code 06. BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed elevator mechanics and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (110.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures