Entry-level locksmiths with no experience generally start out with wages between minimum wage ($7.25) and $8 an hour ($15,080 and $16,640 annually), although in some areas wages may be higher. Experienced locksmiths earned a median salary of $48,380 annually in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Locksmiths with considerable experience and a large clientele earned more than $76,460 annually. Fifty percent of locksmiths earned between $37,950 and $62,070. Locksmiths who specialize in high-security electronic systems may earn much more than that. Full-time employees can usually expect general fringe benefits.
Self-employed locksmiths may be small business operators who earn less than some salaried employees, or they may head larger operations and earn more than the average through contracts with numerous clients.
- Airport Security Personnel
- Armored Truck Drivers
- Bodyguards
- Bricklayers and Stonemasons
- Carpenters
- Cement Masons
- Chief Information Security Officers
- Chimney Sweeps
- Construction Laborers
- Cryptographic Technicians
- Cybersecurity Architects
- Directors of Security
- Electricians
- FBI Agents
- Fire Inspectors
- Fire Investigators
- Forensic Experts
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators, and Analysts
- Glaziers
- Heating and Cooling Technicians
- Internet Security Specialists
- Loss Prevention Managers
- Marble Setters, Tile Setters, and Terrazzo Workers
- Painters and Paperhangers
- Personal Privacy Advisors
- Plasterers
- Plumbers and Pipefitters
- Private Investigators
- Roofers
- Secret Service Special Agents
- Security Consultants
- Security Guards
- Security Systems Installers and Workers
- Underwater Welders
- Welders and Welding Technicians