Salary
Average Salary: $78,620
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $3,282,228
Millions of people rely on elevators every single day. They're used in apartment buildings, hospitals, high-rise office buildings, and schools. In some of these places, having the elevator out of order is merely an inconvenience. But in the case of a hospital, for example, it can mean life or death. Therefore, people who know how to keep elevators in good working order are paid quite well to do their jobs.
The average salary of an elevator installation and repair technician is about $78,000 per year, depending on where you live and what kind of a business you work for (source). Larger companies, hospitals, and resorts are among the best paying jobs in this line of work. They also typically provide insurance and paid leave, and some even pay bonuses in addition to a healthy salary.
The average starting pay in this job is about $50,000 per year. Not quite "making it rain" bucks, but better than most entry-level jobs. After just a few years of making sure elevators elevate properly, you can expect an elevated salary too—in the mid-$70,000 range. Stick with it and you could be making $100,000 or more in the last few years of your career (source).
We should probably mention that, if you live in a town where the tallest building is only four or five stories, you're not going to make the same kind of salary that your metropolitan counterpart will earn.
You should also get used to the idea of undergoing lots of training during your career, because there will be constant changes to the technology and safety regulations involved. And, speaking of safety and security, hospitals and high-rise apartment buildings need elevator repair staff around the clock, so job security is a huge plus in this career.