How much do elevator installers make in New York in 2026?

Elevator installers in New York earn a median $135,720 a year, which works out to $65.25 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number puts New York among the highest-paying states for this trade in the country, and it reflects both the density of high-rise construction in the metro area and the technical skill the work demands.

The full pay range tells a more complete story. Workers at the 25th percentile — those earlier in their careers or working in lower-cost corners of the state — take home $108,940 a year, or roughly $52.38 an hour. At the 75th percentile, experienced installers are earning $153,220 annually, which is $73.66 an hour. That $44,280 spread between the bottom and top of the middle range is significant. It means a journeyman who puts in the time, picks up repair and modernization work on top of new construction, and builds a reputation with a solid contractor can realistically add more than $40,000 a year compared to someone just getting established.

Elevator installation and repair is one of the higher-paid construction trades across the board, and New York amplifies that. The city alone has tens of thousands of elevators across residential towers, commercial skyscrapers, hospitals, transit systems, and government buildings — all of which require regular maintenance, periodic modernization, and occasional full replacement. That sustained demand keeps experienced workers in steady work and gives them leverage on pay.

The job itself involves far more than pulling a car up a shaft. Installers read blueprints and wiring diagrams, assemble rail systems, connect drive machinery, program control systems, and test every component to code before a unit ever carries a passenger. In New York, that means complying with the New York City Elevator Code as well as state Department of Labor requirements — a layer of regulatory knowledge that adds to the skill premium baked into the wages above.

Hours in this trade can stretch beyond a standard 40-hour week, particularly during major construction projects or when emergency repair calls come in. Overtime pay at time-and-a-half can push annual take-home well above the figures listed here, which reflect straight-time wages from BLS survey data.

Entry into the trade typically runs through a four-year apprenticeship program combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction covering hydraulics, electronics, and mechanical systems. Completing that program and earning journeyman status is the clearest path to the median and upper-percentile wages shown on this page.

All figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. They represent wage income only and do not include benefits, overtime, or per diem payments.