- Oregon requires a locksmith certification from the Construction Contractors Board for anyone who services, installs, repairs or rekeys locks, safes or security systems, even if you are licensed in another state.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $18.50 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of locksmiths to $36.12 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 5.9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the -11.5% projected nationally.
The path in Oregon, step by step
Oregon licenses locksmith work at the state level through the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Study for the test, for example with The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing.
- Take the 80 question online test ($60).
- Get the locksmith certification and link it to a CCB license.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: locksmith license in Oregon.
Finding an apprenticeship in Oregon
Oregon runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Oregon State Apprenticeship Agency as the 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 Oregon
The license to aim for: CCB locksmith certification, tied to a CCB license.
Trade exam. An online test of 80 questions. The testing fee is $60.
Coming from another state. No. The Oregon certificate is required even if you hold a locksmith license from another state.
What the Oregon license costs
The fees the Oregon Construction Contractors Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Locksmith test | $60 |
What locksmiths earn in Oregon
The median locksmith in Oregon earned $24.25 an hour in May 2025, 26th of 48 states, with 250 on payrolls. The national median was $24.68.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of locksmiths in Oregon earned under $22.80 an hour and a tenth under $18.50. At the top, a quarter earned over $30.00 and a tenth over $36.12.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.50 | $38,480 |
| 25th percentile | $22.80 | $47,420 |
| Median | $24.25 | $50,450 |
| 75th percentile | $30.00 | $62,400 |
| 90th percentile | $36.12 | $75,130 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: locksmith salary in Oregon.
Jobs ahead in Oregon
Oregon's labor market office projects jobs for locksmiths growing from 340 in 2022 to 360 in 2032, a change of 5.9%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 40 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 5.9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the -11.5% projected nationally, ranking 4th 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 Oregon
To contract on your own in Oregon, the license is the CCB locksmith certification, tied to a CCB license.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Oregon median of $24.25 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $113.18 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 Oregon'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.
- Specialty licenses and certifications (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.