Locksmith Salary Information
By their very nature, locks are designed to be difficult to remove or allow access to their interior workings. Locksmiths possess the skills to install and maintain locking systems as well as lock-picking, key duplication and, in some cases, installation of safes. The majority of locksmiths -- 61 percent according to O-Net -- have a high-school diploma or equivalent, and 9 percent have less than a high-school education.
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Average Earnings
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Many locksmiths work on an hourly basis, and as of 2009, the average locksmith's hourly wage is $17.20, according to O-Net. These locksmiths earn on average $35,780 each year. Salary.com reports a slightly higher median income with locksmiths' average annual earnings at $43,498 as of December 2010. Half of all locksmiths earn between $38,074 and $48,584 with the top 10 percent earning more than $53,215.
Wage Range
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Although locksmiths' wages average $17.20, the average range for locksmiths' hourly wages is from $12.43 to $20.16 per hour as of December 2010, according to PayScale. Because many of these workers work more than 40 hours a week and incur overtime wages, the yearly pay of locksmiths who are hourly employees is between $27,562 and $45,623. This figure also includes commissions paid on sales of locks, safes and other equipment installed.
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By Industry
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Although locksmiths' duties are reasonably common no matter their employer, their earnings vary significantly by industry. Locksmiths employed by security and investigation services receive the smallest mean wage, earning an average of $17 hourly as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Those employed by state government positions and in hospitals tend to receive the best wages, earning mean wages of $21.99 and $22.31, respectively.
By Location
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A locksmith's earnings also vary widely by the state in which they work. Locksmiths who work in the District of Columbia are the best compensated in the country with average hourly earnings of $24.56 as of May 2009, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Illinois are other states in which locksmiths earn high wages. In contrast, those in Louisiana earn $14.99 hourly on average with Oregon and Florida also reporting average wages well below the national median wage for the trade.
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References
- Photo Credit keys image by Darko Draskovic from Fotolia.com
