Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: $110K vs $60K Median Pay

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: what changes?

Consider Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers if you want to assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters. Consider Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators if you would rather operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade…. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers and Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

National median pay (2025): $109,910
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements.
Work to investigate: Inspect wiring connections, control panel hookups, door installations, and alignments and clearances of cars and hoistways to ensure that equipment will operate properly.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,900

Know before you choose

The usual entry route includes an apprenticeship. Interest in the subject is not a substitute for supervised, paid training.

See the full Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers brief

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

National median pay (2025): $59,850
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Learn and follow safety regulations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 39,200

Know before you choose

Errors can seriously affect people, equipment, or operations. Checking and accountability are part of the job, not optional polish.

See the full Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators brief

How the national numbers differ

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators has the edge on annual openings

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is at 39,200 annual openings, compared with 1,900 annual openings for Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers.

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers has the edge on median pay

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers is at $109,910, compared with $59,850 for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.

Typical preparation differs.

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers: High school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers has the edge on projected growth

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers is at 5.7% projected growth, compared with 4.6% projected growth for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.

62.2/ 100

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

68.8/ 100

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Dimension	Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Median pay (2025)	$109,910	$59,850
Pay percentile	87.9 percentile	47.6 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	5.7%	4.6%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,900	39,200
2025 employment	24,700	489,500
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	Apprenticeship combines paid work and instruction; duration is not reported here. Check the full program and licensing requirements.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers brief Read Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators brief

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

How the national numbers differ

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators has the edge on annual openings

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers has the edge on median pay

Typical preparation differs.

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers has the edge on projected growth

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

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