Overview. A key to job satisfaction is how often you help someone in distress. Locksmithing scores near the top. One of life’s most vulnerable feelings is returning home to find your home broken into; a locksmith can make you safer. One of life’s more frustrating experiences is being locked out of your car; a locksmith lets you in.

And today’s locksmiths go well beyond locks and keys. Your car door may no longer have an entry key but a transponder. In your home or business, security techs install electronic and biometric (thumbprint or iris) entry and fire alarm systems, complete with closed-circuit TV networked to a central monitoring facility.

Despite the field’s growing complexity, basic training is short, usually just a few months You do, however, need a knack for working with gadgets and electronics, good vision and depth perception, and manual dexterity. Basic carpentry, electrical, and welding skills help, too. Perhaps most important, you must be able to resist temptation—after all, you do know how to pick locks. If you have those attributes, locksmithing is a worthy career choice. Along with police officers and FBI agents, yours is the noble goal of foiling the baddie—but with much less risk to life and limb.

A Day in the Life. Your first call is the kind you dread. An older woman returns home to find the doorknob removed and discovers that most of her valuables are gone. Her distress turns to anger when you suggest she’d be wise to replace her flimsy doorknob with a safer but more expensive system. You listen well, playing psychologist, and a few minutes later, without your having to ask again, she requests the upgraded locks. An hour later, her home is safe.

Next is a more entertaining affair. The owner of a pawnshop is on vacation, and the manager needs to get into the safe because a customer is demanding his pawned jewelry. Alas, the owner didn’t leave the combination and is unreachable. You have to drill the safe open and replace the mechanism.

Then, you install a wireless alarm system, something you just recently trained for. Fortunately, a more experienced tech joins you to supervise.

Finally, you return to the office to take a class in installing Internet-based intercoms.

Smart Specialty

Institutional locksmith. You create and manage the usually complex security systems at colleges, museums, corporations, or government agencies.

Learn more: Institutional Locksmiths Association.

Salary Data

Median (with eight years in the field): $43,600

25th to 75th percentile (with eight or more years of experience): $37,500-$55,300

(Data provided by PayScale.com)

Training

Most locksmiths learn on the job, supervised by a master locksmith. That’s supplemented by short online or in-person courses offered by locksmith associations or manufacturers.

After reading this and taking into account all the hype about the locksmith industry – is the locksmith career really the best for 2009? If not, which career do you think deserves that title and please tell us why!

We are not going to discuss all of the High Security Locks known to man, but just a few of them that are more widely known. These locks are manufactured by Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Schlage. If you already have a High Security Lock that you would like to have rekeyed, we suggest that you call or Email the manufacturer asking if your lock can be rekeyed – if it is, can it be done by any locksmith, etc.

Medeco High Security Locks

Medeco High Security Locks can be rekeyed. Although, not just any locksmith can rekey them! Which ever locksmith installed them for you will have the control key which is required to rekey them. Whenever you would need to have your locks rekeyed, you would have to go to the locksmith that installed the locks for you. You do not want to just call up any random locksmith company to install your locks – you will need to choose one that will still be around for when you need your locks rekeyed. If the company isn’t around to rekey your lock, you will need to replace it with a brand new lock.

Mul-T-Lock High Security Locks

Mul-T-Lock High Security Locks cannot be rekeyed. These locks will need to be replaced if you need a new key combination for it. If you were to be locked out of your home, a locksmith would drill and install you a new lock. This could become a very pricey expense, so make sure you think about this before you purchase a high security lock that cannot be rekeyed. Some people are discovering a key lock box is a great way to store a spare key in, which can attach to any exterior wall.

Schlage High Security Locks

Schlage High Security Locks can be rekeyed. These locks do not require anything special to be rekeyed. Good news for many, but does this reduce or increase your key control (maintaining security)? Key control is very important for businesses, and this should be considered when purchasing a high security lock. Which lock provides the most key control alone? And so on.

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So there you have it. These are just a few high security locks that can/can’t be rekeyed. Hopefully this tidbit of information will only help you when deciding to buy a high security lock. There are many things to take into consideration when you are thinking about your security now and in the future. Anticipating future mishaps will be highly important when choosing your best fitted high security lock. Good Luck!

Quality is Important

First off, lets start with purchasing a quality product. Typically you could think that the more expensive lock sets may have higher quality. Not exactly true. So, we suggest that you look at all reputable lock brands. Look up reviews on each and even look at the specifications to see what the difference is. Don’t be afraid to call a sales representative and ask them a few questions about the mechanical parts of the lock. Ask about the materials used, why they are stronger and durable than others, etc. Don’t purchase unless you are 100% happy with what you have chosen. If you already have a lock that meets your standards and more, then great! After you have chosen your lock, you’ll need to keep in mind to maintain it.

Maintaining the Lock

So how is it that you maintain your new lock? Locks are mechanical devices, the parts move – they are bound to break down. Lubricating your locks just a few times a year will extend the lifetime of your new lock. Lubricators such as WD-40 can be used. Just insert the nozzle or straw into the key hole and spray. If some leaks out, just wipe off the excess. Lubricators won’t hurt the paint or anything, so there is nothing to stress about. This is a very quick and simple trick to make sure that the likelihood of your lock breaking down is minimal.

You can’t always avoid emergencies like being locked out, but you can help how often it happens by using as many preventative methods. You won’t always be able to be in pro-active mode and that’s okay. Our locksmiths are always here for the people of Seattle just in case you do get locked out.

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