Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
Also called: Air Valve Mechanic, Air Valve Repairer, Automation and Controls Specialist, Automation Controls Technician, Certification Technician, Control Panel Technician (Control Panel Tech), Control Specialist, Control Systems Technician (Control Systems Tech)
Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves, and other mechanical governors.
What Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Calibrate instrumentation, such as meters, gauges, and regulators, for pressure, temperature, flow, and level.
- Install, inspect and test electric meters, relays, and power sources to detect causes of malfunctions and inaccuracies, using hand tools and testing equipment.
- Test valves and regulators for leaks and accurate temperature and pressure settings, using precision testing equipment.
- Record meter readings and installation data on meter cards, work orders, or field service orders, or enter data into hand-held computers.
- Turn meters on or off to establish or close service.
- Shut off service and notify repair crews when major repairs are required, such as the replacement of underground pipes or wiring.
- Install regulators and related equipment such as gas meters, odorization units, and gas pressure telemetering equipment.
- Cut seats to receive new orifices, tap inspection ports, and perform other repairs to salvage usable materials, using hand tools and machine tools.
- Turn valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door salary
The median annual wage for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door is $74,340 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $45,910 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $112,500. The mean annual wage is $76,210.
The mean hourly wage of $36.00 is 5.0× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $74,340 → in 3 years $81,500 → in 5 years $86,700 → in 10 years $101,000 (10-year range $86,900–$117,300). The model assumes pay growth of +3.1% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.