Elevator Maintenance recruiters serving Houston.
About 540 elevator and escalator installers and repairers work in the Houston metro, at a $104,350 median. BLS counts 161 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 Houston.
BLS counts about 10,210 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Houston metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 4,980). Relative to the size of the local economy, elevator and escalator installers and repairers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.07). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Elevator Maintenance hub.
Elevator Mechanic / Installer
Sample job description →Houston: 540 employed · $104,350 median, 34th-highest of 49 metros
Elevator Service Technician
Elevator Maintenance Technician
QEI-Certified Inspector
Houston: 4,980 employed · $66,780 median, 63rd-highest of 112 metros
Escalator Technician
Elevator Modernization Technician
Elevator Project Manager
Houston: 16,500 employed · $103,530 median, 81st-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Service Dispatcher / Coordinator
Houston: 5,720 employed · $48,550 median, 67th-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Estimator
Houston: 5,660 employed · $78,200 median, 53rd-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician
Houston: 4,690 employed · $77,880 median, 31st-highest of 107 metros
What Elevator Maintenance roles earn in Houston.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers in Houston earn a median $104,350, 5% under the $109,910 national figure, and 34th of 49 metros. Pay runs $57,520 at the tenth percentile to $123,170 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $77,880 against $74,090 nationally.
| Role | Houston 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) | $104,350 | $57,520–$123,170 | $109,910 | −5% | 540 |
| QEI-Certified InspectorConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $66,780 | $43,450–$105,170 | $74,690 | −11% | 4,980 |
| Elevator Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,530 | $68,500–$170,590 | $114,990 | −10% | 16,500 |
| Elevator Service Dispatcher / CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $48,550 | $33,780–$75,870 | $50,340 | −4% | 5,720 |
| Elevator EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,200 | $44,800–$132,450 | $78,740 | −1% | 5,660 |
| Elevator Controls / Electronics TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $77,880 | $50,900–$113,010 | $74,090 | +5% | 4,690 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Houston 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 Houston's elevator maintenance market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Houston rose from 147 in 2018 to 161 in 2023, up 10%, close to the 8% national change. Headcount at those firms went down 14%, to about 3,411 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $87,282 to $97,113 (+11%), slower than the 20% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: business locations | 147 | 161 | +10% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: employment | 3,965 | 3,411 | −14% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: average annual pay | $87,282 | $97,113 | +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
Houston runs 7% 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 Houston's elevator maintenance market compares
Among the 47 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Houston ranks 5th for headcount, 34th for median pay and 28th for concentration for elevator and escalator installers and repairers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 540 | $104,350 | 1.07 | 161 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 500 | $108,150 | 0.80 | 204 |
| San Antonio | 220 | $103,700 | 1.25 | 58 |
| Austin | 110 | $107,630 | 0.56 | 46 |
| El Paso | 30 | $89,140 | 0.66 | 21 |
| McAllen | – | – | – | 6 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For elevator maintenance employers in Houston, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Houston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Elevator Maintenance licensing in Texas.
Texas requires elevator contractors to register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and carry liability insurance. Each contractor names a responsible party, who must complete eight hours of approved continuing education to renew. The same state rules apply in Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in Houston without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed an elevator maintenance search in Houston 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 Houston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianFive to ten years of commercial HVAC experience, EPA 608, and independent troubleshooting - filled in two weeks.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianA lead technician who can also train the rest of the bench.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianThe second of two technician seats on the same requisition, filled in the same window as the first.
Nearby markets competing for Houston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Austin, about 145 miles away, with roughly 110 elevator and escalator installers and repairers (0.2 times Houston's 540). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $103,700 in San Antonio to $108,150 in Dallas-Fort Worth, against $104,350 here. Houston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | – | 540 | $104,350 |
| Austin | 147 mi | 110 | $107,630 |
| San Antonio | 190 mi | 220 | $103,700 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 225 mi | 500 | $108,150 |
| Baton Rouge | 254 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Houston crews.
Not elevator maintenance work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Houston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Texas Medical Center expansion (TMC3, MD Anderson, Memorial Hermann)$5B+ aggregated2024-2030
Largest medical complex in the world keeps expanding. Hospital-grade mechanical, isolation HVAC, OR work. Mechanical PMs with healthcare experience in extreme demand.
- IAH Terminal D West expansion$1.46BThrough 2027
Airport-grade MEP, large-scale AHU installs, baggage system mechanical work.
- Port Houston Bayport Container Terminal expansion$1B+2024-2027
Heavy civil, paving, large-scale mechanical. Crane operators and heavy electricians in tight supply.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Houston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for elevator maintenance, and what kills offers in Houston.
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 Houston.
What do elevator and escalator installers and repairers earn in Houston?
BLS puts the Houston median for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $104,350 a year, 5% below the $109,910 national median. That ranks 34th of 49 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $57,520 at the 10th percentile against $123,170 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth pays more, at $108,150.
Is it hard to hire elevator and escalator installers and repairers in Houston?
It is about average. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers are as common in Houston as they are nationally (location quotient 1.07), with about 540 in the metro. The 161 nonresidential building-equipment contractors here average about 21 employees per location.
Which elevator maintenance roles pay the most in Houston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Elevator Mechanic / Installer pays the most in Houston, a $104,350 median. QEI-Certified Inspector is the lowest-paid field role at $66,780. Relative to national pay, Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician is the strongest-paying role here (5% above). QEI-Certified Inspector trails national pay the most (11% below).
How many nonresidential building-equipment contractors operate in Houston?
BLS counted 161 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Houston in 2023, employing about 3,411 people between them. Up from 147 in 2018, a 10% increase against 8% growth nationally. That averages 21 people per location. They pay about the national average of $96,086. BLS counts elevator contractors under nonresidential building-equipment contractors.
Which nearby metros compete with Houston for elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (147 miles, about 110, $107,630 median), San Antonio (190 miles, about 220, $103,700 median) and Dallas-Fort Worth (225 miles, about 500, $108,150 median).
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
161 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Houston are drawing on the same 540 elevator and escalator installers and repairers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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