Elevator Maintenance recruiters serving Des Moines.
BLS counts 25 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 Des Moines.
BLS counts about 520 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Des Moines metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 390). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Elevator Maintenance hub.
Elevator Mechanic / Installer
Sample job description →Des Moines: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Elevator Maintenance Technician
QEI-Certified Inspector
Des Moines: 390 employed · $73,910 median, 48th-highest of 112 metros
Escalator Technician
Elevator Modernization Technician
Elevator Project Manager
Des Moines: 1,020 employed · $103,920 median, 77th-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Service Dispatcher / Coordinator
Des Moines: 510 employed · $44,730 median, 102nd-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Estimator
Des Moines: 550 employed · $78,500 median, 52nd-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician
Des Moines: 130 employed · $70,180 median, 56th-highest of 107 metros
What Elevator Maintenance roles earn in Des Moines.
BLS publishes no Des Moines pay for elevator and escalator installers and repairers; nationally the median is $109,910. Construction and building inspectors in Des Moines earn a median $73,910, level with the $74,690 national figure, and 48th of 112 metros. Pay runs $46,980 at the tenth percentile to $91,090 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $70,180 against $74,090 nationally. BLS withholds Des Moines pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Des Moines 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) | – | – | $109,910 | – | – |
| QEI-Certified InspectorConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $73,910 | $46,980–$91,090 | $74,690 | −1% | 390 |
| Elevator Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,920 | $65,560–$201,450 | $114,990 | −10% | 1,020 |
| Elevator Service Dispatcher / CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $44,730 | $41,140–$68,800 | $50,340 | −11% | 510 |
| Elevator EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,500 | $48,940–$121,400 | $78,740 | 0% | 550 |
| Elevator Controls / Electronics TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $70,180 | $51,300–$82,200 | $74,090 | −5% | 130 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Des Moines 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 Des Moines's elevator maintenance market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Des Moines rose from 22 in 2018 to 25 in 2023, up 14%, ahead of the 8% national rise. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: business locations | 22 | 25 | +14% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: employment | 301 | – | – |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: average annual pay | $77,149 | – | – |
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
How Des Moines's elevator maintenance market compares
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Des Moines metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Elevator Maintenance licensing in Iowa.
Iowa does not license elevator mechanics or elevator contractors. The state regulates the equipment: conveyances must be registered, a current operating permit must be posted, and the state inspects them. The personnel credential Iowa does issue is the special inspector commission under Rule 481-371.12, which requires a high school diploma or GED, at least three years of full-time work experience in the construction, installation, repair or inspection of conveyances, accreditation as a Certified Elevator Inspector under ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024, a pass on the department's Iowa procedures examination, and liability coverage of one million dollars per person and five million per occurrence. For mechanics, screen on apprenticeship and employer history rather than a state credential.
Licensing authority: Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (Iowa Code Chapter 89A; IAC 481 Chapter 371). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Des Moines talent.
The closest metro we cover is Omaha, about 125 miles away, with roughly 110 elevator and escalator installers and repairers. BLS does not publish Des Moines figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: Minneapolis has the largest pool within reach, about 380, at a $128,020 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | – | – | – |
| Omaha | 123 mi | 110 | $117,690 |
| Kansas City | 180 mi | 200 | $124,120 |
| Minneapolis | 234 mi | 380 | $128,020 |
| Madison | 238 mi | – | – |
| St. Louis | 273 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Des Moines crews.
Not elevator maintenance work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Des Moines in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- The Iowa Clinic West Des Moines expansion$12M+Construction proposed for fall 2026, complete summer 2028
A two-story, 27,000 sq ft medical building on 2.42 acres - healthcare-grade MEP work.
- Microsoft "Ruthenium" data center$210M+ (part of $6B+ total Microsoft investment in West Des Moines)Construction starting 2026
A 245,000 sq ft first-phase facility housing computer equipment and large-scale web portal services - the latest addition to Microsoft's five existing West Des Moines data center campuses.
- Microsoft Project Ginger West Data Center$1B+Multi-year buildout
A separate ~188-acre campus planned for approximately 1.8 million sq ft of data center space across multiple buildings.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Des Moines market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for elevator maintenance, and what kills offers in Des Moines.
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 Des Moines.
Which elevator maintenance roles pay the most in Des Moines?
Of the roles we recruit for, Elevator Project Manager pays the most in Des Moines, a $103,920 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is QEI-Certified Inspector at $73,910, 29% below it. Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $70,180. Elevator Service Dispatcher / Coordinator trails national pay the most (11% below).
How many nonresidential building-equipment contractors operate in Des Moines?
BLS counted 25 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Des Moines in 2023. Up from 22 in 2018, a 14% increase against 8% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. BLS counts elevator contractors under nonresidential building-equipment contractors.
Which nearby metros compete with Des Moines for elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Omaha (123 miles, about 110, $117,690 median), Kansas City (180 miles, about 200, $124,120 median) and Minneapolis (234 miles, about 380, $128,020 median).
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25 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Des Moines are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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