AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-9094.00
Will AI replace Locksmiths and Safe Repairers?
Locksmiths and Safe Repairers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 14 tasks; the work mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Locksmiths and Safe Repairers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insert new or repaired tumblers into locks to change combinations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Set up and maintain master key systems. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install door hardware, such as locks and closers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Disassemble mechanical or electrical locking devices, and repair or replace worn tumblers, springs, and other parts, using hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Repair and adjust safes, vault doors, and vault components, using hand tools, lathes, drill presses, and welding and acetylene cutting apparatus. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install alarm and electronic access systems. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install safes, vault doors, and deposit boxes according to blueprints, using equipment such as power drills, taps, dies, truck cranes, and dollies. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Cut new or duplicate keys, using impressions or code key machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Move picklocks in cylinders to open door locks without keys. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Cut new or duplicate keys, using key cutting machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Open safe locks by drilling. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Keep records of company locks and keys. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Unlock cars and other vehicles. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove interior and exterior finishes on safes and vaults, and spray on new finishes. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 14 of 14. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 51% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 51% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 49% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 15,040
- Median annual wage
- $51,320
- Middle half of earners
- $43,160 to $64,560
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -8.3%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Mechanical Door Repairers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure18
- Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure31
- Watch and Clock Repairers 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure16
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers 61% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure24
- Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers 61% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure22
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Locksmiths and Safe Repairers and AI
Will AI replace Locksmiths and Safe Repairers?
Not on current evidence. None of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 18 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Locksmiths and Safe Repairers?
18 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 14 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Locksmiths and Safe Repairers tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Insert new or repaired tumblers into locks to change combinations, at 20 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 51% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 49% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Locksmiths and Safe Repairers, and what do they earn?
15,040 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $51,320 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -8.3% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Locksmiths and Safe Repairers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/locksmiths-and-safe-repairers
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