Elevator Maintenance recruiters serving San Jose.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers in San Jose earn a $173,920 median, 58% above the national figure, and about 70 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 16 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 Jose.
BLS counts about 1,530 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Jose metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 860). Relative to the size of the local economy, elevator and escalator installers and repairers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.43). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Elevator Maintenance hub.
Elevator Mechanic / Installer
Sample job description →San Jose: 70 employed · $173,920 median, highest of 49 metros
Elevator Maintenance Technician
QEI-Certified Inspector
San Jose: 860 employed · $129,750 median, highest of 112 metros
Escalator Technician
Elevator Modernization Technician
Elevator Project Manager
San Jose: 1,850 employed · $163,040 median, 2nd-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Service Dispatcher / Coordinator
San Jose: 720 employed · $60,780 median, highest of 111 metros
Elevator Estimator
San Jose: 1,680 employed · $97,580 median, 3rd-highest of 111 metros
Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician
San Jose: 600 employed · $122,860 median, highest of 107 metros
What Elevator Maintenance roles earn in San Jose.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers in San Jose earn a median $173,920, 58% over the $109,910 national figure, and 1st of 49 metros. Pay runs $105,980 at the tenth percentile to $201,180 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $129,750 against $74,690 nationally.
| Role | San Jose 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) | $173,920 | $105,980–$201,180 | $109,910 | +58% | 70 |
| QEI-Certified InspectorConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $129,750 | $58,990–$183,710 | $74,690 | +74% | 860 |
| Elevator Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $163,040 | $97,900–$249,990 | $114,990 | +42% | 1,850 |
| Elevator Service Dispatcher / CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $60,780 | $47,000–$98,600 | $50,340 | +21% | 720 |
| Elevator EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $97,580 | $61,550–$170,550 | $78,740 | +24% | 1,680 |
| Elevator Controls / Electronics TechnicianElectrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (49-2094) | $122,860 | $80,410–$150,830 | $74,090 | +66% | 600 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Jose 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 Jose's elevator maintenance market has changed since 2018.
San Jose lost nonresidential building-equipment contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 17 business locations to 16 (down 6%), behind the 8% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: business locations | 17 | 16 | −6% |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: employment | – | 318 | – |
| Nonresidential building-equipment contractors: average annual pay | – | $107,071 | – |
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 Jose runs 57% fewer elevator maintenance workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep 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 San Jose's elevator maintenance market compares
Among the 47 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Jose ranks 38th for headcount, 1st for median pay and 43rd for concentration for elevator and escalator installers and repairers. That makes it one of the thinnest elevator maintenance labor markets we recruit in.
| 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 Jose, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, San Jose 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 Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in San Jose 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.
Nearby markets competing for San Jose talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Francisco, about 40 miles away, with roughly 370 elevator and escalator installers and repairers (5.3 times San Jose's 70). San Jose pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($173,920 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Fresno at $126,110. San Francisco has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | – | 70 | $173,920 |
| San Francisco | 42 mi | 370 | $168,270 |
| Modesto | 53 mi | – | – |
| Stockton | 54 mi | – | – |
| Sacramento | 89 mi | – | – |
| Fresno | 124 mi | 50 | $126,110 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Jose crews.
Not elevator maintenance work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Jose in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- PG&E data-center pipeline - San Jose1,630 MW requested across 11 projectsRolling, multi-year
San Jose is positioning itself as the Bay Area's data-center capital, driven by AI infrastructure demand. Eleven separate projects have requested a combined 1,630 megawatts of capacity from PG&E - more than three times the number of housing units in the city, a signal of the sheer scale of mechanical and electrical buildout underway.
- Prologis STEM Park (North San Jose)~$25B, 396MW data center + manufacturing campusApproved Nov 2025
Prologis - traditionally a logistics/industrial developer - was selected by San Jose's city council to build a 159-acre data center and advanced manufacturing campus on city-owned land near Zanker Road and Highway 237. Evidence the AI-driven data-center boom is pulling in developers beyond the traditional tech giants.
These are the 2 projects we track in San Jose. The San Jose market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for elevator maintenance, and what kills offers in San Jose.
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 Jose.
What do elevator and escalator installers and repairers earn in San Jose?
BLS puts the San Jose median for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $173,920 a year, 58% above the $109,910 national median. That ranks first of 49 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $105,980 and $201,180, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other California metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire elevator and escalator installers and repairers in San Jose?
Yes. San Jose has 57% fewer elevator and escalator installers and repairers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 70 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 16 nonresidential building-equipment contractors here average about 20 employees per location.
Which elevator maintenance roles pay the most in San Jose?
Of the roles we recruit for, Elevator Mechanic / Installer pays the most in San Jose, a $173,920 median. Elevator Controls / Electronics Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $122,860. Relative to national pay, QEI-Certified Inspector is the strongest-paying role here (74% above).
How many nonresidential building-equipment contractors operate in San Jose?
BLS counted 16 nonresidential building-equipment contractors in San Jose in 2023, employing about 318 people between them. Down from 17 in 2018, a 6% decline against 8% growth nationally. That averages 20 people per location. They pay an average of $107,071, 11% 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 Jose for elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are San Francisco (42 miles, about 370, $168,270 median) and Fresno (124 miles, about 50, $126,110 median). San Francisco has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Jose out-pays Fresno, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With elevator and escalator installers and repairers this scarce in San Jose, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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