Also called: Safe Technician, Safecracker (Professional), Vault Service Technician
Opens locked safes when owners lose the combination, and installs and services bank vaults, ATMs and high-security locks.
Safe techs get calls from banks, jewelry stores and homeowners. They 'manipulate' combination locks by feel and sound, or drill a tiny precise hole and use a scope to open the lock without wrecking the safe. They also move and install 2,000-pound safes and service bank vault doors and timers.
Business owners earn more. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 3 years after high school. Locksmith training plus years of hands-on safe work; SAVTA certification.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, Apprenticeship. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Locksmithing (trade school).
Growing slowly. Steady but small trade (approx.).
Low risk for 10 years. Electronic locks change the work, but opening, moving and servicing safes stays hands-on.
Classes: Shop class, Physics, Electronics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9094.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.