Elevator Maintenance recruiters serving Chicago.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers in Chicago earn a $146,580 median, 33% above the national figure, and about 850 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 213 business locations of nonresidential building-equipment contractors across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Chicago.
BLS counts about 3,600 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Chicago metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 1,840). Relative to the size of the local economy, elevator and escalator installers and repairers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.22). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Elevator Maintenance hub.
Elevator Mechanic / Installer
Sample job description →Chicago: 850 employed · $146,580 median, 4th-highest of 49 metros
Elevator Service Technician
Elevator Maintenance Technician
QEI-Certified Inspector
Chicago: 1,840 employed · $82,640 median, 18th-highest of 112 metros
Escalator Technician
Elevator Modernization Technician
Elevator Project Manager
Chicago: 13,850 employed · $117,280 median, 44th-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Service Dispatcher / Coordinator
Chicago: $58,900 median, 4th-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Estimator
Chicago: 4,610 employed · $83,640 median, 16th-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician
Chicago: 910 employed · $59,950 median, 94th-highest of 107 metros
What Elevator Maintenance roles earn in Chicago.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers in Chicago earn a median $146,580, 33% over the $109,910 national figure, and 4th of 49 metros. Pay runs $68,710 at the tenth percentile to $169,990 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $82,640 against $74,690 nationally.
| Role | Chicago median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Mechanic / Installer · Elevator Service Technician · Elevator Maintenance TechnicianElevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers (47-4021) | $146,580 | $68,710–$169,990 | $109,910 | +33% | 850 |
| QEI-Certified InspectorConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $82,640 | $48,310–$127,210 | $74,690 | +11% | 1,840 |
| Elevator Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $117,280 | $55,500–$178,140 | $114,990 | +2% | 13,850 |
| Elevator Service Dispatcher / CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $58,900 | $38,260–$82,590 | $50,340 | +17% | – |
| Elevator EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $83,640 | $50,720–$139,460 | $78,740 | +6% | 4,610 |
| Elevator Controls / Electronics TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $59,950 | $41,780–$83,830 | $74,090 | −19% | 910 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chicago metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Chicago's elevator maintenance market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Chicago rose from 198 in 2018 to 213 in 2023, up 8%, close to the 8% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 3%, to about 3,839 people. Average annual pay there went from $104,588 to $116,155 (+11%), slower than the 20% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: business locations | 198 | 213 | +8% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: employment | 3,721 | 3,839 | +3% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: average annual pay | $104,588 | $116,155 | +11% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Elevator Maintenance hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Elevator Maintenance · 2026 Elevator Maintenance Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Elevator Maintenance
Chicago runs 22% more elevator maintenance workers per job than the country as a whole — above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Chicago's elevator maintenance market compares
Among the 47 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Chicago ranks 3rd for headcount, 4th for median pay and 22nd for concentration for elevator and escalator installers and repairers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
What this means for hiring:For elevator maintenance employers in Chicago, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Chicago metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Elevator Maintenance licensing in Illinois.
Illinois licenses elevator contractors, mechanics, inspectors, inspection companies and apprentices everywhere in the state except the City of Chicago, which runs its own program. Mechanic licensing includes a state exam, and mechanics must complete eight hours of continuing education, including two hours of code updates, in the year before their license expires. The Chicago metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, Division of Elevator Safety. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed an elevator maintenance search in Chicago yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Chicago than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial Construction Project ManagerA Project Director-level background placed into a PM seat inside a week.
- Service Dispatch CoordinatorA dispatcher who already knows the trade, the software and the workflow.
- Lead HVAC TechnicianNATE, EPA Universal and Heat Pump Council certified, with VRF and VRV experience.
Nearby markets competing for Chicago talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 85 miles away, with roughly 140 elevator and escalator installers and repairers (0.2 times Chicago's 850). Chicago pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($146,580 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Milwaukee at $78,110. Chicago is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | – | 850 | $146,580 |
| Milwaukee | 83 mi | 140 | $78,110 |
| Madison | 123 mi | – | – |
| Grand Rapids | 127 mi | 80 | $133,080 |
| Indianapolis | 164 mi | 50 | $116,520 |
| Dayton | 231 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Chicago crews.
Not elevator maintenance work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Chicago in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- O'Hare Global Terminal expansion$12.1BThrough 2030
Largest airport terminal project in US. Airport-grade MEP, baggage systems, central utility plant. Multi-year demand for senior airport-experienced trades.
- The 78 development (South Loop)$8B+Phased through 2040
62-acre mixed-use development adjacent to downtown. University of Illinois withdrew its planned Discovery Partners Institute biotech campus from the site in 2024-2025; the broader mixed-use build-out continues under new anchor plans.
- Foundry Park (North Side, former Lincoln Yards site)$800M Phase 1City Council-approved Feb 2026
Replaces the stalled $6B Lincoln Yards plan, which collapsed in 2025. New owners, scaled-down scope - residential, office, retail. Long-duration commercial construction pipeline once underway.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Chicago market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for elevator maintenance, and what kills offers in Chicago.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end an elevator maintenance offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Elevator Maintenance credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Elevator Maintenance hiring in Chicago.
What do elevator and escalator installers and repairers earn in Chicago?
BLS puts the Chicago median for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $146,580 a year, 33% above the $109,910 national median. That ranks 4th of 49 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. The range is unusually wide: $68,710 at the bottom tenth against $169,990 at the top tenth, a 2.5x gap. Senior people here are priced far above the median.
Is it hard to hire elevator and escalator installers and repairers in Chicago?
Not by national standards. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers make up 22% more of the Chicago workforce than they do nationally, about 850 people. The 213 nonresidential building-equipment contractors here average about 18 employees per location.
Which elevator maintenance roles pay the most in Chicago?
Of the roles we recruit for, Elevator Mechanic / Installer pays the most in Chicago, a $146,580 median. Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $59,950. Relative to national pay, Elevator Mechanic / Installer is the strongest-paying role here (33% above). Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician trails national pay the most (19% below).
How many nonresidential building-equipment contractors operate in Chicago?
BLS counted 213 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Chicago in 2023, employing about 3,839 people between them. Up from 198 in 2018, an 8% increase against 8% growth nationally. That averages 18 people per location. They pay an average of $116,155, 21% above the $96,086 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts elevator contractors under nonresidential building-equipment contractors.
Which nearby metros compete with Chicago for elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (83 miles, about 140, $78,110 median), Grand Rapids (127 miles, about 80, $133,080 median) and Indianapolis (164 miles, about 50, $116,520 median). Chicago out-pays Milwaukee, Grand Rapids and Indianapolis, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Chicago has one of the deeper pools of elevator and escalator installers and repairers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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