Elevator mechanic salary in San Francisco, CA
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Elevator mechanics in the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA area earn a median of $168,270 a year, or $80.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $196,370. Statewide, elevator mechanics earn a median of $141,180; San Francisco is 19% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $40.83/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 370
- After cost of living
- $145,550
- Median hourly pay
- $80.90/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +53%
- vs California median
- +19%
Apprentice to top elevator mechanic pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $84,920–$166,940$40.83–$80.26/hr | |
| Mechanic | $168,270$80.90/hr | |
| Top earners | $174,820–$196,370$84.05–$94.41/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How San Francisco, CA compares
- San Francisco ranks 2nd of 5 California metro areas for elevator mechanic pay.
- Elevator mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the San Francisco area as nationally: 0.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $196,370, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $84,920: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other California metro areas
Other trades in San Francisco, CA
Questions
- How much do elevator mechanics make in San Francisco, CA?
- Elevator mechanics in the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA area earn a median of $168,270 a year, or $80.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $196,370.
- How much do elevator mechanics make an hour in San Francisco, CA?
- The median hourly wage is $80.90. The middle half earn between $80.26 and $84.05 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice elevator mechanics make in San Francisco, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $40.83 an hour ($84,920 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $80.26.
- Do elevator mechanics make more in San Francisco or San Jose?
- San Jose pays more: the median is $168,270 in San Francisco and $173,920 in San Jose, a 3% difference.
- How does San Francisco pay compare with the rest of California?
- The San Francisco median of $168,270 is 19% more than the California median of $141,180.
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 41860 (San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA). 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 (115.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures