Locksmiths and Safe Repairers Salary
Locksmiths and Safe Repairers in Virginia make a median of $53,590 a year, or about $25.76 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $56,535 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 46.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $54K get you in Virginia?
About locksmiths and safe repairers
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What this looks like in Virginia
Locksmiths and safe repairers pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 46.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level locksmiths and safe repairers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Locksmiths and Safe Repairers salary by metro in Virginia
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $53K | -1% | 90 |
| Richmond | $51K | -4% | 90 |
Compare to other states
Track locksmiths and safe repairers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a locksmiths and safe repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 46.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for locksmiths and safe repairers in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new locksmiths and safe repairers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,092/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is locksmiths and safe repairer a high-paying job in Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for locksmiths and safe repairers?
Virginia pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do locksmiths and safe repairers make in Virginia?
The median is $53,590 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,870, and experienced locksmiths and safe repairers can clear $76,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,544/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 46.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a locksmiths and safe repairers salary go in Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median locksmiths and safe repairers salary is worth about $56,535 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do locksmiths and safe repairers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.