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Career overview · SOC 49-9012

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves, and other mechanical governors.

Also called: Control Valve Mechanic · Control Valve Technician · Electric Meter Technician · Instrument and Electrical Technician (I and E Technician) · Instrument Technician · Measurement Technician

Median pay (national)
$74,690
$43,840–$109,050 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
46,920
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+1.3%
~3,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $109,050 versus $43,840 at the bottom 10% — 2.5x. The median of $74,690 leaves roughly 46% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +1.3% from 2024 to 2034 — slower than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 3,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 50 states with released data, Alaska pays the most for this role (median $106,250, +42% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $29,490 — a 260% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Monitoring
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Writing
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Mathematics
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made.
  • Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches.
  • Lubricate wearing surfaces of mechanical parts, using oils or other lubricants.
  • Test valves and regulators for leaks and accurate temperature and pressure settings, using precision testing equipment.
  • Examine valves or mechanical control device parts for defects, dents, or loose attachments, and mark malfunctioning areas of defective units.
  • Replace defective parts, such as bellows, range springs, and toggle switches, and reassemble units according to blueprints, using cam presses and hand tools.
  • Record meter readings and installation data on meter cards, work orders, or field service orders, or enter data into hand-held computers.
  • Cut seats to receive new orifices, tap inspection ports, and perform other repairs to salvage usable materials, using hand tools and machine tools.
  • Report hazardous field situations and damaged or missing meters.
  • Connect regulators to test stands, and turn screw adjustments until gauges indicate that inlet and outlet pressures meet specifications.

Tools & technology

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
  • SAP software
  • Structured query language SQL
  • Emerson FIRSTVUE Value Sizing
  • Graphical user interface GUI design software
  • IBM Maximo Asset Management
  • Ladder Logic
  • Maintenance record software
  • Programmable logic controller PLC software
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software

Knowledge areas

  • Mechanical
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Mathematics
  • Design
  • Production and Processing