Elevator Maintenance recruiters serving San Francisco.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers in San Francisco earn a $168,270 median, 53% above the national figure, and about 370 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 70 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 San Francisco.
BLS counts about 3,240 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Francisco metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 2,380). Relative to the size of the local economy, elevator and escalator installers and repairers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.01). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Elevator Maintenance hub.
Elevator Mechanic / Installer
Sample job description →San Francisco: 370 employed · $168,270 median, 2nd-highest of 49 metros
Elevator Service Technician
Elevator Maintenance Technician
QEI-Certified Inspector
San Francisco: 2,380 employed · $125,130 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Escalator Technician
Elevator Modernization Technician
Elevator Project Manager
San Francisco: 5,160 employed · $166,030 median, highest of 111 metros
Elevator Service Dispatcher / Coordinator
San Francisco: 3,010 employed · $58,610 median, 6th-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Estimator
San Francisco: 3,300 employed · $101,630 median, 2nd-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician
San Francisco: 490 employed · $96,900 median, 5th-highest of 107 metros
What Elevator Maintenance roles earn in San Francisco.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers in San Francisco earn a median $168,270, 53% over the $109,910 national figure, and 2nd of 49 metros. Pay runs $84,920 at the tenth percentile to $196,370 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $125,130 against $74,690 nationally.
| Role | San Francisco 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) | $168,270 | $84,920–$196,370 | $109,910 | +53% | 370 |
| QEI-Certified InspectorConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $125,130 | $76,000–$175,460 | $74,690 | +68% | 2,380 |
| Elevator Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $166,030 | $100,910–$225,120 | $114,990 | +44% | 5,160 |
| Elevator Service Dispatcher / CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $58,610 | $45,430–$93,530 | $50,340 | +16% | 3,010 |
| Elevator EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $101,630 | $58,910–$167,780 | $78,740 | +29% | 3,300 |
| Elevator Controls / Electronics TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $96,900 | $58,880–$147,070 | $74,090 | +31% | 490 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Francisco 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 San Francisco's elevator maintenance market has changed since 2018.
San Francisco lost nonresidential building-equipment contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 71 business locations to 70 (down 1%), behind the 8% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 10%, to about 1,699 people. Average annual pay there went from $120,097 to $134,501 (+12%), slower than the 20% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: business locations | 71 | 70 | −1% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: employment | 1,894 | 1,699 | −10% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: average annual pay | $120,097 | $134,501 | +12% |
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
San Francisco sits at about the national rate for elevator maintenance — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 San Francisco's elevator maintenance market compares
Among the 47 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Francisco ranks 15th for headcount, 2nd for median pay and 30th 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.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 850 | $140,600 | 0.88 | 188 |
| San Francisco | 370 | $168,270 | 1.01 | 70 |
| San Diego | 170 | $140,250 | 0.72 | 33 |
| San Jose | 70 | $173,920 | 0.43 | 16 |
| Fresno | 50 | $126,110 | 0.67 | 13 |
| Riverside | – | – | – | 76 |
| Sacramento | – | – | – | 34 |
| Bakersfield | – | – | – | 8 |
| Stockton | – | – | – | 11 |
| Modesto | – | – | – | 5 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For elevator maintenance employers in San Francisco, the pool is about the national norm for its size, and local employers have trimmed headcount. That usually means experienced people are available but cautious, so the stability of the job matters as much as the rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, San Francisco metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Elevator Maintenance licensing in California.
California certifies elevator mechanics as Certified Competent Conveyance Mechanics (CCCM). Applicants need at least three years of conveyance industry experience and either an approved apprenticeship or a passing score on the state exam, and renewal requires approved continuing education. Elevator companies need a separate Certified Qualified Conveyance Company certification, which requires a C-11 contractor license. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in San Francisco without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Elevator Unit. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed an elevator maintenance search in San Francisco 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 San Francisco than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Roofing ShinglerThree weeks to add a safety-conscious shingler to a crew the client keeps building year-round.
- Roofing Project ManagerTwo decades of superintendent and project management experience against a five-year bar - placed in days.
- Commercial Construction ForemanFifteen years of construction with foreman-level crew leadership on both commercial and residential builds.
Nearby markets competing for San Francisco talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Jose, about 40 miles away, with roughly 70 elevator and escalator installers and repairers (0.2 times San Francisco's 370). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $126,110 in Fresno to $173,920 in San Jose, against $168,270 here. San Francisco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | – | 370 | $168,270 |
| San Jose | 42 mi | 70 | $173,920 |
| Stockton | 63 mi | – | – |
| Sacramento | 75 mi | – | – |
| Modesto | 78 mi | – | – |
| Fresno | 162 mi | 50 | $126,110 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Francisco crews.
Not elevator maintenance work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Francisco in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Transbay district high-rise towers (downtown SF)Real trend, no verified regional totalRolling
Salesforce Tower district build-out continues with adjacent office + residential towers. Seismic-rated high-rise structural + MEP at the highest wage scale in the country.
- BART / regional transit modernizationReal trend, no verified regional totalRolling
Transit infrastructure and station rebuilds. Seismic-rated civil, structural, and systems electrical work across a multi-year public pipeline.
- UCSF / Kaiser / Sutter hospital expansionsReal trend, no verified regional totalRolling
OSHPD/HCAI-compliant healthcare construction. Seismic retrofit deadlines drive urgent demand for healthcare mechanical PMs and hospital-experienced trades.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The San Francisco market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for elevator maintenance, and what kills offers in San Francisco.
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 San Francisco.
What do elevator and escalator installers and repairers earn in San Francisco?
BLS puts the San Francisco median for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $168,270 a year, 53% above the $109,910 national median. That ranks 2nd of 49 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. The range is unusually wide: $84,920 at the bottom tenth against $196,370 at the top tenth, a 2.3x gap. Senior people here are priced far above the median. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $173,920.
Is it hard to hire elevator and escalator installers and repairers in San Francisco?
It is about average. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers are as common in San Francisco as they are nationally (location quotient 1.01), with about 370 in the metro. The 70 nonresidential building-equipment contractors here average about 24 employees per location.
Which elevator maintenance roles pay the most in San Francisco?
Of the roles we recruit for, Elevator Mechanic / Installer pays the most in San Francisco, a $168,270 median. Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $96,900. Relative to national pay, QEI-Certified Inspector is the strongest-paying role here (68% above).
How many nonresidential building-equipment contractors operate in San Francisco?
BLS counted 70 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in San Francisco in 2023, employing about 1,699 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (71). That averages 24 people per location. They pay an average of $134,501, 40% 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 San Francisco for elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are San Jose (42 miles, about 70, $173,920 median) and Fresno (162 miles, about 50, $126,110 median). San Francisco out-pays Fresno, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
70 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in San Francisco are drawing on the same 370 elevator and escalator installers and repairers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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