Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Machines can already do 12% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 43%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 12% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2037, and 43% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 23,790 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $109,910 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 81% for contact with people.
- Also called: Elevator Adjuster, Elevator Constructor, Elevator Installer, Elevator Mechanic.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble, install, repair, and maintain elevators, escalators, moving sidewalks, and dumbwaiters, using hand and power tools, and testing devices such as test lamps, ammeters, and voltmeters | 15% | 3% to 30% | |
| Disassemble defective units, and repair or replace parts such as locks, gears, cables, and electric wiring | 13% | 3% to 30% | |
| Inspect wiring connections, control panel hookups, door installations, and alignments and clearances of cars and hoistways to ensure that equipment will operate properly | 10% | 20% to 60% | |
| Locate malfunctions in brakes, motors, switches, and signal and control systems, using test equipment | 10% | 3% to 30% | |
| Adjust safety controls, counterweights, door mechanisms, and components such as valves, ratchets, seals, and brake linings | 10% | 3% to 30% | |
| Check that safety regulations and building codes are met, and complete service reports verifying conformance to standards | 8% | 3% to 30% | |
| Read and interpret blueprints to determine the layout of system components, frameworks, and foundations, and to select installation equipment | 4% | 55% to 85% | |
| Connect electrical wiring to control panels and electric motors | 4% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills elevator and escalator installers and repairers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $56,550
- Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $57,550
- Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles40% of tasks by 2035 · US median $48,420
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists34% of tasks by 2035 · US median $61,770
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2037. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of elevator and escalator installers and repairers?
Machines can do 12% of the tasks of elevator and escalator installers and repairers today and 43% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 47-4021.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/elevator-and-escalator-installers-and-repairers/