How to become a Control and Valve Installer or Repairer

Official title: Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Also called: Control Valve Mechanic, Control Valve Technician, Electric Meter Technician, Instrument and Electrical Technician (I and E Technician), Instrument Technician, Measurement Technician, Meter Technician, Service Technician, Valve Technician, Water Plant Maintenance Mechanic

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

Main 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Electric Meter Installer I.
• Apprenticeship: Electric Meter Repairer.
• Apprenticeship: Gas-Regulator Repairer.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $74,340 a year The middle half earn $54,950 to $97,120.
• About 50,400 people work in this job now, and about 52,600 are projected by 2035. (+4.3%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Mechanical Door Repairers
• Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
• Home Appliance Repairers
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Maintenance Workers, Machinery
• Millwrights

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Control and Valve Installer or Repairer?

Ways in include: Electric Meter Installer I.

How much does a Control and Valve Installer or Repairer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $74,340 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $54,950 to $97,120.

Is a Control and Valve Installer or Repairer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 50,400 to about 52,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Control and Valve Installer or Repairer?

Usually not. Only 8% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Electric Meter Installer I.

Will AI change the work of a Control and Valve Installer or Repairer?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.