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Otis CEO Judy Marks said demand for skilled elevator mechanics continues to grow around the world.
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Otis offers workers an apprenticeship program starting at age 18 and tuition subsidies.
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, elevator maintenance workers can earn up to $158,890.
In an era of rampant layoffs, no job seems safe.
Except maybe the elevator mechanic.
Judy Marks is the CEO of elevator giant Otis, where she oversees about 72,000 employees. That includes about 45,000 mechanics, whom she said companies aren’t hiring fast enough.
“Demand is high,” Marks told Business Insider.
When Otis was spun off from its parent company in April 2020, it employed approximately 40,000 field professionals. Today, that number has increased by about 12.5%, to 45,000, Otis said. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of elevator and escalator installers and repairers will grow by 5% between 2024 and 2034, which is 2% higher than the average for all occupations.
In addition to installing elevators and escalators, mechanics maintain and repair equipment, she said. In some markets, including Japan, declining populations combined with a boom in renovations and construction have made hiring a challenge, she said.
Machinists also don’t have to worry about losing their jobs to automation in the near future. As a regulated industry in most countries, humans are critical to the job, Marks said. This role requires years of training and physical labor, and so far has not been easily replaced by robots.
“It’s really a craft,” Marks said.
long career
Many skilled trade jobs have been growing in recent years. Data released by LinkedIn last year showed that construction is the fastest-growing industry for recent college graduates. In 2026, construction will rank fifth among the fastest-growing industries for new graduates.
Elevator mechanics, in particular, tend to stay in the industry for decades, Marks said. Otis’ machinists with zero to five years of experience are roughly on par with workers who have been with the company for more than 30 years, she said.
“We’re not going to have this coming ‘silver cliff,'” Marks said, referring to the struggles of some older workers in other industries.
“Most of them stay in the industry for the rest of their lives, and a lot of them, their father, mother or grandfather was involved in it.”
In the United States, Otis elevator mechanics are represented through a multi-employer union. Marks said it offers apprenticeships for people starting at 18, working as a helper for Otis during the day and attending elevator service school at night. After completing a four-year apprenticeship and passing a machinist’s exam, workers gain journeyman status in the trade.