Over $150,000 income, safety from layoffs: This one profession could be one of the safest jobs as AI anxiety rises

Layoffs have continued across the tech industry in 2026. Companies that expanded rapidly during the pandemic are now cutting teams, slowing hiring and putting more money into artificial intelligence systems. More than 92,000 tech workers have reportedly lost jobs this year already, with companies like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and Snap announcing large workforce reductions while increasing investments in AI infrastructure.

But while office jobs and software roles are facing uncertainty, one trade profession is moving in the opposite direction. Elevator mechanics are seeing strong demand, rising salaries and something many workers are currently worried about — protection from automation, at least for now.

According to reports by Business Insider and other industry coverage, elevator giant Otis says it cannot hire mechanics fast enough to keep up with global demand.

Otis says demand for mechanics is rising

Otis CEO Judy Marks oversees a workforce of around 72,000 employees globally. Out of them, nearly 45,000 are mechanics and field professionals who install, repair and maintain elevators and escalators. “The demand is high,” Marks told Business Insider.

When Otis became an independent company in 2020, it had around 40,000 mechanics. That number has now increased to roughly 45,000, showing how quickly hiring needs have grown in a short period.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that elevator and escalator installer jobs will grow by 5% between 2024 and 2034, which is faster than the average growth rate for all occupations.

The work is also broader than many people assume. Elevator mechanics do not only install new systems. They also inspect equipment, repair faults, modernise older systems and handle ongoing maintenance work in commercial buildings, apartments, malls and hospitals.

Salaries can cross $150,000

The profession has quietly become one of the highest-paying skilled trades in the United States. According to BLS wage data from May 2025, elevator and escalator installers and repairers earned an average annual salary of $109,820. Workers in the top 10% earned as much as $158,890.

That figure is much higher than the average wage for construction and extraction occupations, which stood at $65,360. It is also far above the overall US average salary of $69,770.

Industry experts say the combination of technical skill, physical work, licensing requirements and labour shortages has helped keep wages high.

At a time when AI tools are reshaping office work and even software development, elevator mechanics remain harder to replace.

Tech layoffs continue as companies spend billions on AI

The contrast with the tech industry has become increasingly noticeable this year.

Meta reportedly announced around 8,000 job cuts while continuing aggressive AI expansion plans. Snap said AI-generated coding tools were helping the company operate with smaller teams. Amazon has reduced tens of thousands of corporate roles over several rounds of layoffs, while Oracle and Block also carried out major workforce reductions this year.

At the same time, companies including Alphabet, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft are collectively expected to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on AI infrastructure and services.

That has added to anxiety among workers, especially in white-collar industries where automation tools are now handling coding, writing, customer support and administrative tasks.