Salary
Average Salary: $40,620
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,695,804
If you're thinking locksmiths aren't exactly rolling around in heaps of money, you're correct. However, if you build a career as a reliable professional, there's no reason you can't live a comfortable life and even own your own business one day.
On average, locksmiths make around $41,000 per year (source). That might not seem like much, but depending on where you live, it translates to a nice house and a decent car. You also don't have massive student debt to pay off (hooray for you) because a college degree isn't required.
The more different kinds of work you can accomplish, the more jobs you'll get and the more you'll get paid. Certifications will help you build your reputation to take your career to this next level―people are more likely to hire a Certified Professional Locksmith (CPL) than a Registered Locksmith, while the Certified Master Locksmith (CML) is probably not just getting the best work, but teaching all the classes at the local adult learning annex (source).
Locksmiths don't just work with keys and doors anymore either; there are advanced security systems that take computer skills and technical know-how. These positions can make a lot more moolah on average. Emergency locksmiths can make more as well; if you're on-call at 3:00AM because medical services need your experience, then you're probably doing something right, and you'll be paid fairly well for it.
Once you hit a certain level, your income growth will be tied directly to the growth of your business. This is where advertising comes in. Self-employed and franchised locksmiths have to advertise their services, and that means they also get to advertise what kinds of things they can do. So if you work with high-tech systems, get yourself all the latest certifications, and maybe offer security system installation to boot, there's no reason you can't build yourself a $100,000-a-year career.