Locksmiths and Safe Repairers vs Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians: Similar Pay, -11.7% vs 9.7% Growth

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers vs Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians: what changes?

Consider Locksmiths and Safe Repairers if you want to repair and open locks, make keys, change locks and safe combinations, and install and repair safes. Consider Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians if you would rather diagnose, inspect, adjust, repair, or overhaul recreational vehicles including travel trailers. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers and Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians. 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

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers

National median pay (2025): $51,320
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than 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 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,200

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 11.7% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Locksmiths and Safe Repairers brief

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

National median pay (2025): $52,000
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than 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 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Diagnose and repair furnace or air conditioning systems.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,200

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (17,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians brief

How the national numbers differ

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians is at 9.7% projected growth, compared with -11.7% projected growth for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers.

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians has the edge on annual openings

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians is at 2,200 annual openings, compared with 1,200 annual openings for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

30.6/ 100

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers

56.2/ 100

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

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

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers vs Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

Dimension	Locksmiths and Safe Repairers	Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians
Median pay (2025)	$51,320	$52,000
Pay percentile	35.5 percentile	36.6 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-11.7%	9.7%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,200	2,200
2025 employment	18,700	17,500
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	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	More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than 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 Locksmiths and Safe Repairers brief Read Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians brief

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers vs Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

How the national numbers differ

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians has the edge on annual openings

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Locksmiths and Safe Repairers vs Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

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