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Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Also called: Instrument and Electrical Technician (I and E Technician), Measurement Technician, Meter Technician, Valve Technician

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

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Median pay BLS, 2025$74,340
Openings a year BLS, 2025–353,600
Typical education to start BLSHigh school diploma or equivalent
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Moderate
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +4.3%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 32 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 4.3% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 4.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Control and valve installers and repairers”
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 51% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 65% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$49k$111knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$61,670$53,500 to $82,760430
Alaska$109,450$65,540 to $124,91030
Arizona$60,570$49,940 to $79,720840
Arkansas$61,440$55,120 to $80,250440
California$100,260$78,860 to $130,8004,310
Colorado$63,770$49,740 to $78,3101,190
Connecticut$104,690$73,350 to $111,010360
Delaware$75,720$59,390 to $96,840150
District of Columbia$98,810$87,240 to $106,42050
Florida$57,460$47,320 to $77,4401,250
Georgia$61,070$46,470 to $80,720870
Hawaii$81,850$64,750 to $104,110110
Idaho$84,390$63,130 to $93,280180
Illinois$61,980$54,030 to $93,140250
Indiana$60,170$48,960 to $85,100760
Iowa$83,830$60,350 to $98,890820
Kansas$77,720$58,460 to $89,740290
Kentucky$61,450$46,800 to $75,090450
Louisiana$66,730$46,840 to $98,660560
Maine$66,240$63,960 to $74,790190
Maryland$66,500$51,000 to $101,400800
Massachusetts$95,520$75,780 to $100,2501,320
Michigan$96,890$62,060 to $102,4102,240
Minnesota$76,640$58,420 to $81,560710
Mississippi$48,670$41,130 to $69,820170
Missouri$77,650$50,620 to $91,060620
Montana$58,940$37,400 to $83,88050
Nebraska$88,610$78,070 to $102,570440
Nevada$72,310$62,310 to $112,80070
New Hampshire$61,380$46,970 to $92,100220
New Jersey$96,510$77,350 to $104,2701,000
New Mexico$67,520$57,200 to $90,750320
New York$101,150$78,980 to $119,4504,170
North Carolina$64,820$49,990 to $78,9201,440
North Dakota$103,580$99,260 to $109,070270
Ohio$76,920$52,920 to $92,4001,230
Oklahoma$62,780$48,190 to $74,9401,320
Oregon$97,110$75,830 to $114,180490
Pennsylvania$78,120$72,920 to $86,2901,330
Puerto Rico$52,660$29,660 to $75,680140
Rhode Island$110,900$90,040 to $110,900110
South Carolina$50,800$40,620 to $67,630420
South Dakota$98,090$76,110 to $102,300150
Tennessee$57,010$46,320 to $63,350670
Texas$58,230$47,560 to $72,29011,630
Utah$73,090$65,270 to $74,690300
Vermont$82,010$75,710 to $90,39040
Virginia$68,000$60,030 to $80,150820
Washington$102,870$83,940 to $129,530450
West Virginia$79,000$62,410 to $85,610610
Wisconsin$76,540$73,580 to $94,160980
Wyoming$100,030$78,920 to $112,630290

Nationally: $74,340. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 2 of its 32 tasks

1 · AI alone could halve the time 1 · AI + software built on it could 30 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI alone Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made. Not published
Not much Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches. Not published
Not much Lubricate wearing surfaces of mechanical parts, using oils or other lubricants. Not published
Not much Examine valves or mechanical control device parts for defects, dents, or loose attachments, and mark malfunctioning areas of defective units. Not published
Not much Test valves and regulators for leaks and accurate temperature and pressure settings, using precision testing equipment. Not published
Not much Disconnect or remove defective or unauthorized meters, using hand tools. Not published
See all 32 tasks
Not much Report hazardous field situations and damaged or missing meters. Not published
AI + software Record meter readings and installation data on meter cards, work orders, or field service orders, or enter data into hand-held computers. Not published
Not much Shut off service and notify repair crews when major repairs are required, such as the replacement of underground pipes or wiring. Not published
Not much Clean internal compartments and moving parts, using rags and cleaning compounds. Not published
Not much Turn valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates. Not published
Not much Repair electric meters and components, such as transformers and relays, and replace metering devices, dial glasses, and faulty or incorrect wiring, using hand tools. Not published
Not much Turn meters on or off to establish or close service. Not published
Not much Mount and install meters and other electric equipment such as time clocks, transformers, and circuit breakers, using electricians' hand tools. Not published
Not much Install, inspect and test electric meters, relays, and power sources to detect causes of malfunctions and inaccuracies, using hand tools and testing equipment. Not published
Not much Calibrate instrumentation, such as meters, gauges, and regulators, for pressure, temperature, flow, and level. Not published
Not much Connect regulators to test stands, and turn screw adjustments until gauges indicate that inlet and outlet pressures meet specifications. Not published
Not much Measure tolerances of assembled and salvageable parts for conformance to standards or specifications, using gauges, micrometers, and calipers. Not published
Not much Make adjustments to meter components, such as setscrews or timing mechanisms, so that they conform to specifications. Not published
Not much Vary air pressure flowing into regulators and turn handles to assess functioning of valves and pistons. Not published
Not much Dismantle meters, and replace or adjust defective parts such as cases, shafts, gears, disks, and recording mechanisms, using soldering irons and hand tools. Not published
Not much Investigate instances of illegal tapping into service lines. Not published
Not much Install regulators and related equipment such as gas meters, odorization units, and gas pressure telemetering equipment. Not published
Not much Trace and tag meters or house lines. Not published
Not much Clean plant growth, scale, paint, soil, or rust from meter housings, using wire brushes, scrapers, buffers, sandblasters, or cleaning compounds. Not published
Not much Cut seats to receive new orifices, tap inspection ports, and perform other repairs to salvage usable materials, using hand tools and machine tools. Not published
Not much Attach air hoses to meter inlets, plug outlets, and observe gauges for pressure losses to test internal seams for leaks. Not published
Not much Replace defective parts, such as bellows, range springs, and toggle switches, and reassemble units according to blueprints, using cam presses and hand tools. Not published
Not much Connect hoses from provers to meter inlets and outlets, and raise prover bells until prover gauges register zero. Not published
Not much Splice and connect cables from meters or current transformers to pull boxes or switchboards, using hand tools. Not published
Not much Repair leaks in valve seats or bellows of automotive heater thermostats, using soft solder, flux, and acetylene torches. Not published
Not much Advise customers on proper installation of valves or regulators and related equipment. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 32 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 32 tasks fall under 18 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up2 of 32 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most1 of 18 activities
  • #35 Process digital or online data
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance 20#57 4.31#101
Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools 6.37#110 1.33#146
Disassemble equipment 2.48#182 0.82#170
Repair tools or equipment 1.87#202 0.18#246
Install commercial or production equipment 0.50#271 0.16#252
Communicate with others about operational plans or activities 9.39#92 28#39
Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas 3.36#158 1.16#157
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Show all 18 activities
Repair electrical or electronic equipment 1.29#222 0.15#257
Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment 0.84#245 0.32#232
Process digital or online data 50#35 73#23
Investigate criminal or legal matters 9.30#96 1.13#161
Test performance of equipment or systems 9.09#97 2.28#123
Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment 6.04#113 1.15#158
Maintain tools or equipment 4.47#136 1.04#167
Cut materials 2.75#173 0.50#207
Train others to use equipment or products 1.26#225 20#47
Repair vehicle components 0.87#243 0.09#271
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Maintain operational records” holds 2 tasks rated AI + software or AI alone, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.92 of every 10,000 conversations, #170 of 332.
How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door: +4.3%Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical DoorAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door: +4.3%Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 4,488 moves out

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
  2. 2 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 5%
  3. 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 4%
  4. 4 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
  5. 5 Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians Moderate +2.6% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 4,732 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  2. 2 Electricians Moderate +9.2% 4%
  3. 3 Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +2.4% 4%
  4. 4 Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians Moderate +2.6% 4%
  5. 5 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 47% high school
  • 42% postsecondary certificate
  • 3% some college
  • 7% associate's
  • 1% bachelor's

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 28 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 12% less than high school
  • 40% high school
  • 28% some college
  • 13% associate's
  • 5% bachelor's
  • 1% master's
  • 1% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Control and valve installers and repairers” · 264 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Control and valve installers and repairers”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
2 programs: Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology/Technician and Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology/Technician.

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

87.7% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license46.7%19.1%
a certification16.2%5.8%
an educational certificatenot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

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