Locksmith job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers

O*NET-SOC 49-9094.00

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$51,320

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Locksmiths and Safe Repairers (O*NET-SOC 49-9094.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Locksmith” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data, the SOC Index, the U.S. Employment and Training Administration and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Insert new or repaired tumblers into locks to change combinations. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Move picklocks in cylinders to open door locks without keys. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Cut new or duplicate keys, using key cutting machines. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Open safe locks by drilling. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Set up and maintain master key systems. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Install door hardware, such as locks and closers. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Keep records of company locks and keys. importance 4.2 of 5
9. Disassemble mechanical or electrical locking devices, and repair or replace worn tumblers, springs, and other parts, using hand tools. importance 4.1 of 5
10. Repair and adjust safes, vault doors, and vault components, using hand tools, lathes, drill presses, and welding and acetylene cutting apparatus. importance 4.0 of 5
11. Install alarm and electronic access systems. importance 3.9 of 5
12. Install safes, vault doors, and deposit boxes according to blueprints, using equipment such as power drills, taps, dies, truck cranes, and dollies. importance 3.6 of 5
13. Unlock cars and other vehicles. importance 3.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Handling and Moving Objects and Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Remove interior and exterior finishes on safes and vaults, and spray on new finishes.

Knowledge areas: Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language and Administration and Management.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists long-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (62%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Locksmith
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Locksmith to repair and open locks, make keys, change locks and safe combinations, and install and repair safes.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines.
- Insert new or repaired tumblers into locks to change combinations.
- Move picklocks in cylinders to open door locks without keys.
- Cut new or duplicate keys, using key cutting machines.
- Open safe locks by drilling.
- Set up and maintain master key systems.
- Install door hardware, such as locks and closers.
- Keep records of company locks and keys.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in repairing, critical thinking and time management
- Working knowledge of Mechanical and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Intuit QuickBooks or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Locksmiths and Safe Repairers, the median annual wage was $51,320 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $24.68. BLS estimates about 15,040 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Locksmiths and Safe Repairers to decline 11.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real locksmith posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only locksmith work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (repairing and critical thinking): a real situation, what you did and what changed.