- California licenses locksmith companies through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, and their locksmith employees must be registered.
- Pay runs from about $22.61 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of locksmiths to $44.73 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 0% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the -11.5% projected nationally.
The path in California, step by step
California licenses locksmith work at the state level through the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Name the person who will manage the business day to day.
- Submit the application and fees, online through BreEZe or by mail.
- Complete a Live Scan background check after you apply.
- Send two passport quality photos, and your fictitious business name statement if you use one.
- Renew every two years.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: locksmith license in California.
Finding an apprenticeship in California
California appears on both of the Labor Department's lists: it has a recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, and the federal Office of Apprenticeship works there too. Apprenticeship.gov lists the California Apprenticeship Office as a contact.
Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Across the country. O*NET lists locksmith apprenticeship titles that are vetted by industry and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor for Registered Apprenticeship programs.
License levels and exams in California
The license to aim for: Locksmith Company license.
Keeping it. Every two years.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Locksmith Employee registration | Employees who do locksmith work for a licensed company. |
What locksmiths earn in California
The median locksmith in California earned $29.33 an hour in May 2025, 6th of 48 states, with 2,060 on payrolls. The national median was $24.68.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of locksmiths in California earned under $23.99 an hour and a tenth under $22.61. At the top, a quarter earned over $38.72 and a tenth over $44.73.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.61 | $47,020 |
| 25th percentile | $23.99 | $49,910 |
| Median | $29.33 | $61,010 |
| 75th percentile | $38.72 | $80,530 |
| 90th percentile | $44.73 | $93,030 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: locksmith salary in California.
Jobs ahead in California
California's labor market office projects jobs for locksmiths growing from 2,600 in 2022 to 2,600 in 2032, a change of 0%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 280 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 0% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the -11.5% projected nationally, ranking 8th of the 49 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group locksmiths and safe repairers.
Starting your own locksmith business in California
To contract on your own in California, the license is the Locksmith Company license.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the California median of $29.33 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $122.10 per billable hour. Try your own in the labor rate calculator.
The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is California's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- Locksmith company and employee fact sheet (checked 2026-10-09)
- Locksmith company FAQ (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 49-9094
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- O*NET OnLine, Locksmiths and Safe Repairers (49-9094.00) (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become a locksmith.