locksmith
Key facts
Are you skilled with your hands and enjoy problem-solving? As a locksmith, you'll be the go-to person for securing properties and assisting people in need, from unlocking doors to installing advanced security systems. This role combines technical expertise with excellent customer service.
Locksmiths are skilled professionals who work with mechanical and electronic locking systems. Your days might involve installing new locks, repairing existing ones, cutting keys, and responding to emergency situations where someone is locked out. You'll need a keen eye for detail, manual dexterity, and the ability to diagnose and fix problems efficiently. Providing advice on security upgrades and best practices is also a key part of the role.
- • Install and repair various types of locks, including mechanical, digital, and electronic systems.
- • Cut and duplicate keys for residential, commercial, and automotive clients.
- • Respond to emergency lockout situations and provide prompt assistance.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Metal, machinery and related trades workers — 106 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark and 8 more.
Longest-running shortage: Estonia, 4 years.
Where it is regulated, your qualification would need formal recognition before you could practise.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person's chances. It describes a market.
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Could locksmith fit you?
Answer three quick questions. This is not a full assessment — it is a teaser to help you decide whether to compare your profile.
Do you enjoy tasks that require Dependability?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Attention to Detail?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Independence?
Future Outlook for locksmith
The outlook for locksmith reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could locksmith change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could locksmith change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- install lockable devices
- carry out inventory planning
- maintain customer service
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- read technical datasheet
- use locksmith equipment
- cut keys
Tasks most exposed to automation
- calculate quotations for security devices services
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Construction
A typical day as a locksmith
09 09:00 · Morning use locksmith equipment
10 10:30 · Mid-morning calculate quotations for security devices services
12 12:00 · Midday install lockable devices
14 14:00 · Afternoon carry out inventory planning
15 15:30 · Late afternoon cut keys
17 17:00 · Wrap-up repair lockable devices
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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locking mechanisms
Types and characteristics of locking devices and key types such as tumble, rotating disc or rotating pin.
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manufacturing of door furniture from metal
The manufacture of metal items that can be attached to a door in order to support its function and appearance. The manufacture of padlocks, locks, keys, hinges and the like, and hardware for buildings, furniture, vehicles etc.
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building's electronic access equipment
The types, characteristics and methods of use of electronic equipment used to access facilities such as card access control panels, card readers or infra-red readers.
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security in commercial buildings
Security procedures, characteristics, tasks and risks in commercial areas and institutions such as banks, malls, tourist spots, hotels and restaurants.
- mechanics
- electricity
- metal bending techniques
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carry out inventory planning
Determine the optimal quantities and timings of inventory in order to align it with sales and production capacity.
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use locksmith equipment
Use specialised tools and equipment to operate on locking devices and keys such as lock picks, tension wrenches, key turners and lever picks, destructive opening tools and grinders and milling machines.
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repair lockable devices
Provide repairing and troubleshooting services for automatic door openers, door closing devices and other access control systems, in compliance with specifications.
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read technical datasheet
Read and understand the technical specifications describing the characteristics and functionality mode of a product, component or machine, usually provided by the manufacturer.
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cut keys
Use machines or tools to cut profiles of keys.
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maintain customer service
Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
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calculate quotations for security devices services
Calculate and present quotations for the installation or maintenance services to be provided to clients, according to their door devices, costs and schedules.
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install lockable devices
Install security locking devices, such as automatic doors, lockers and keying systems, in compliance with specifications and building safety codes and regulations.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
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Where does locksmith fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of tools do locksmiths typically use?
- Locksmiths utilize a wide range of specialized tools, including key cutting machines, lock picking tools, code readers, drills, and electronic diagnostic equipment. The specific tools needed will vary depending on the type of lock being worked on.
- Do I need a license to work as a locksmith?
- Licensing requirements for locksmiths vary by region. Research the specific regulations in your area to understand if a license is required and what the process entails.
- Is it common to be self-employed as a locksmith?
- While many locksmiths are employed by security companies or property management firms, it's also a common career path to establish your own self-business. This offers flexibility and the opportunity to build your own client base.
- Locksmith — is there a shortage in Europe?
- Yes. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a shortage was reported in 12 of the 13 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany and 8 more. Estonia has reported one for 4 consecutive years. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Locksmith — what does it pay in the United States?
- $50,490 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $27,220 to $76,740. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.
- Locksmith — is it a regulated profession?
- It is listed as a regulated profession in 6 European countries: Hungary, Liechtenstein, Czechia, Slovakia and 2 more. The lowest qualification level required among them is EQF 3. Where a profession is regulated, a qualification earned elsewhere has to be formally recognised before you can practise. Source: EU Regulated Professions Database.