07/26/2026
Great advice from a legend!
🗝️ So You Want to Be a Locksmith? 👇
A few thoughts from the newly self-appointed Secret Grand Chairman of the Board of Bored Locksmiths of the "Not So Secret- Secret Society of Locksmiths"
One piece of advice I give almost everyone interested in this trade is simple:
Don't chase the low-hanging fruit. Learn the trade properly.
Residential and automotive lockouts 'might' pay today's bills, but commercial accounts, institutional work, access control, door hardware, master key systems, and long-term customer relationships are what build tomorrow's career. The locksmiths who enjoy long, successful careers usually become trusted security professionals, not just people who open locked doors.
If you're serious about becoming a locksmith, find a reputable established local locksmith/shop that's willing to train you. A good mentor is worth more than a toolbox full of gimmicks.
Speaking of tools...
Buy quality locksmith tools instead of every miracle gadget that's aggressively marketed to newcomers. Every year another "revolutionary" tool promises to replace years of training. Most don't. Good tools matter, but knowledge is what makes them valuable.
Practice constantly before working on customer property. Use training locks. Build practice boards. Make mistakes where they don't cost someone time, money, or security. Even after doing this full-time since 1994, I still learn something new almost every week (some times daily). That's one of the things I love most about locksmithing. You'll never know it all.
Protect Your Reputation
Your reputation is your most valuable tool.
Word travels surprisingly fast in this industry, and trust is everything.
Don't work for scammers.
If a potential employer wants to pay you 30% while you provide your own vehicle, fuel, insurance, and tools... if they expect you to process credit cards through your own account and then send them the money... if they encourage you to avoid giving prices up front... if they teach you to squeeze every last dollar from customers... if they hide behind a call center that refuses to answer basic questions and tells everyone, "A technician will call you back"... those are enormous red flags.
Walk away.
One unfortunate reality is that once you've been trained in scam tactics, it can be much harder to convince legitimate employers that you're one of the good guys.
Ironically, some of the best locksmiths I've ever worked with unknowingly started their careers working for scam operations. Almost every one of them has told me there came a day when something finally clicked. They realized they weren't working for a locksmith company at all. They were working for a highly organized scam empire masquerading as one.
It's Bigger Than Locks
Locksmithing isn't just about picking locks or opening doors.
It's about solving problems.
It's about protecting people, businesses, schools, hospitals, and property.
It's about being the person someone trusts when security matters most.
That's what keeps so many of us in this profession for decades.
Learn From Everyone
If you're on Reddit, visit r/Locksmith and use the search function for questions about getting into the trade.
Fair warning... there are some wonderfully grouchy, salty people over there. They'll absolutely tell you when you're asking the wrong question. But buried beneath the sarcasm is a tremendous amount of knowledge from locksmiths who've spent decades in the field. Read more than you post, and you'll learn a lot.
I've also spent nearly fifteen years creating content here on this page. Feel free to scroll through the archives.
It's an unvetted page, so you won't find many closely guarded trade secrets, but you will find something just as valuable: a realistic look at what day-to-day locksmithing actually looks like. The victories, the frustrations, the strange service calls, and the constant problem-solving.
Google and YouTube are excellent resources as well. Nearly every major lock manufacturer publishes installation guides, service manuals, and instructional videos. Never stop studying.
Join the Trade
Research locksmith associations.
The Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) offers education, certification, networking, and conventions. Many states also have their own organizations. Here in Texas, we have the Texas Locksmith Association (TLA), and many major metropolitan areas have very active local groups where locksmiths share knowledge and training opportunities.
You'll learn more in a weekend surrounded by experienced locksmiths than you will from months of scrolling social media.
Is It Worth It?
This really isn't a side hustle or easy pocket-money gig.
It's a skilled trade.
Like any skilled trade, what you get out of it depends on what you're willing to put into it.
I've worked alongside locksmiths who struggled to make ends meet while relying on government assistance, and I've worked with others earning well into six figures. The difference usually wasn't luck. It was commitment, curiosity, professionalism, and the willingness to keep learning year after year.
If you're looking for quick money or just a weekly paycheck, this probably isn't the career for you.
If you're looking for a profession that will challenge you, humble you, occasionally frustrate you, and give you stories you'll still be telling thirty years from now...
Welcome to locksmithing.
