Elevator Maintenance recruiters serving Knoxville.
BLS counts 38 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 Knoxville.
BLS counts about 630 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Knoxville metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 440). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Elevator Maintenance hub.
Elevator Mechanic / Installer
Sample job description →Knoxville: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Elevator Service Technician
Elevator Maintenance Technician
QEI-Certified Inspector
Knoxville: 440 employed · $58,150 median, 106th-highest of 112 metros
Escalator Technician
Elevator Modernization Technician
Elevator Project Manager
Knoxville: 730 employed · $101,910 median, 92nd-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Service Dispatcher / Coordinator
Knoxville: 550 employed · $49,290 median, 59th-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Estimator
Knoxville: 540 employed · $72,900 median, 91st-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician
Knoxville: 190 employed · $59,560 median, 96th-highest of 107 metros
What Elevator Maintenance roles earn in Knoxville.
BLS publishes no Knoxville pay for elevator and escalator installers and repairers; nationally the median is $109,910. Construction and building inspectors in Knoxville earn a median $58,150, 22% under the $74,690 national figure, and 106th of 112 metros. Pay runs $39,520 at the tenth percentile to $82,540 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment, at $59,560 against $74,090 nationally. BLS withholds Knoxville pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Knoxville 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) | $58,150 | $39,520–$82,540 | $74,690 | −22% | 440 |
| Elevator Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,910 | $62,210–$169,550 | $114,990 | −11% | 730 |
| Elevator Service Dispatcher / CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $49,290 | $34,850–$70,920 | $50,340 | −2% | 550 |
| Elevator EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $72,900 | $42,760–$115,860 | $78,740 | −7% | 540 |
| Elevator Controls / Electronics TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $59,560 | $36,690–$79,200 | $74,090 | −20% | 190 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Knoxville 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 Knoxville's elevator maintenance market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Knoxville rose from 26 in 2018 to 38 in 2023, up 46%, ahead of the 8% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 6%, to about 682 people. Average annual pay there went from $66,090 to $74,709 (+13%), slower than the 20% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: business locations | 26 | 38 | +46% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: employment | 646 | 682 | +6% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: average annual pay | $66,090 | $74,709 | +13% |
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 Knoxville's elevator maintenance market compares
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 300 | $105,290 | 1.77 | 80 |
| Memphis | – | – | – | 40 |
| Knoxville | – | – | – | 38 |
| Chattanooga | – | – | – | 31 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Knoxville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Elevator Maintenance licensing in Tennessee.
Tennessee does not issue a state elevator mechanic or elevator constructor license for individuals. The state regulates the equipment through permits and required inspections, and it licenses the inspectors: inspections must be made by inspectors licensed under T.C.A. 68-121-110, who must obtain certification to the QEI standard within twelve months of licensure under Rule 0800-03-04-.07. Company-level licensing runs through the separate Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, which has classification BC-17 for elevators, escalators and dumbwaiters. When hiring a mechanic, screen on NEIEP or equivalent apprenticeship completion, union journeyman status and employer work history, and treat QEI as relevant only for inspector roles. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Knoxville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Elevator and Amusement Device Safety Unit. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Knoxville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Chattanooga, about 100 miles away. BLS does not publish Knoxville figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: Atlanta has the largest pool within reach, about 510, and Nashville pays the most, a $105,290 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | – | – | – |
| Chattanooga | 101 mi | – | – |
| Greenville | 115 mi | – | – |
| Atlanta | 155 mi | 510 | $83,500 |
| Nashville | 161 mi | 300 | $105,290 |
| Huntsville | 173 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Knoxville crews.
Not elevator maintenance work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Knoxville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- LIS Technologies laser uranium enrichment facility$1.38BAnnounced 2026
A new facility on the historic K-25 uranium enrichment site, expected to create more than 200 jobs. One of the largest single nuclear-industrial capital commitments in the region's history.
- DOE Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (finalist)Undisclosed, federalSite selection ongoing
Tennessee is one of just 5 states selected as a finalist out of 26 applicants for a major Department of Energy nuclear research campus - a signal of the region's growing strategic importance to the nuclear-energy sector.
- Y-12 demolition and cleanup programFederal EM programAlpha-2 completed January 2026; Beta-1 and Old Steam Plant ongoing
DOE completed demolition of the 325,000 sq ft Alpha-2 facility (the largest demolition in Y-12's history, clearing 2.5+ acres) in January 2026, and crews are preparing the 210,000 sq ft Beta-1 facility and the Old Steam Plant for removal. Clears contaminated Manhattan Project/Cold War-era sites for new missions and community reuse.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Knoxville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for elevator maintenance, and what kills offers in Knoxville.
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 Knoxville.
Which elevator maintenance roles pay the most in Knoxville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Elevator Project Manager pays the most in Knoxville, a $101,910 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician at $59,560, 42% below it. QEI-Certified Inspector is the lowest-paid field role at $58,150. QEI-Certified Inspector trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many nonresidential building-equipment contractors operate in Knoxville?
BLS counted 38 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Knoxville in 2023, employing about 682 people between them. Up from 26 in 2018, a 46% increase against 8% growth nationally. That averages 18 people per location. They pay an average of $74,709, 22% below 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 Knoxville for elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Atlanta (155 miles, about 510, $83,500 median), Nashville (161 miles, about 300, $105,290 median) and Louisville (188 miles, $42,670 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
38 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in Knoxville are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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