How much do elevator installers make in Ohio in 2026?

The median elevator installer in Ohio earns $105,020 per year, which works out to about $50.49 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits well above what most skilled trades earn at the midpoint, which reflects the specialized licensing, physical demands, and genuine safety stakes involved in elevator work.

Here is how pay breaks down across experience levels. Workers at the 25th percentile — typically apprentices and newer journeyworkers still building their hours — earn around $72,950 per year, or roughly $35.07 an hour. The 75th percentile comes in at $116,870 annually, about $56.19 an hour. That spread of nearly $44,000 between the bottom quarter and top quarter tells you there is real room to grow in this trade, but you have to put the time in.

Elevator installation and repair is one of the more credentialed trades in Ohio. The state requires elevator mechanics to hold a valid Ohio elevator mechanic license, issued through the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Industrial Compliance. To sit for the exam, you generally need to complete an apprenticeship — typically a four-year program combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Those apprenticeship years are when most workers sit in that 25th-percentile range or below it. Once you clear the journeyworker threshold and have your license in hand, pay tends to step up meaningfully.

Geography matters inside Ohio. Elevator work concentrates where tall buildings and dense construction activity concentrate — the Columbus metro, Greater Cleveland, and the Cincinnati area are the main hubs. Workers in those markets tend to see steadier hours and more complex, better-paying jobs like high-rise traction systems and hospital infrastructure. Rural parts of the state have fewer installations and more service-call-heavy work, which can mean more windshield time and fewer overtime hours.

Overtime and project bonuses can shift annual earnings significantly. Elevator installation on a large commercial or mixed-use project often involves deadline pressure, meaning available overtime on the back end of a job. A journeyworker running regular overtime at the median base rate can realistically push annual earnings above the 75th-percentile figure without a formal pay increase. Service and repair work, by contrast, can be steadier but offers less overtime bang.

Some elevator mechanics in Ohio work under collective bargaining agreements. If you are covered by one, your wages, overtime rules, and benefit contributions are spelled out in that contract — check your local agreement directly for the specifics, because those terms vary and the BLS figures here do not break out union versus non-union pay separately.

It is also worth noting what these BLS numbers do and do not include. The OEWS survey captures base wages paid by employers. It does not count employer-paid health insurance, pension contributions, or annuity fund payments, all of which can be substantial in this trade. If your total compensation package includes strong benefits, your real earnings picture is better than the wage figures alone suggest.

To move toward the top of the pay range, the most direct paths are seniority with a single employer, taking on lead mechanic or foreman responsibilities, and adding specialized certifications — machine-room-less systems, hydraulic modernization, and accessibility lift work all command premium rates from employers who need those skills. Staying current with Ohio code updates and manufacturer training programs keeps you competitive and useful on higher-value jobs.

All figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 release. The BLS surveys employers directly, making these figures more grounded than self-reported salary data.