SOC 49-9012.00

    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.

    Median pay
    $74,340
    Growth
    +4.3%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    3,600
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $45,910
    Median
    $74,340
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $112,500
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    48,240 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Control and valve installers and repairers maintain mechanical regulating devices like thermostats, gas regulators, and electric meters. The career offers a median annual pay of $74,340.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

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

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    Workers in this field focus on installing, repairing, and maintaining mechanical regulating and controlling devices. Their day-to-day tasks involve inspecting equipment, monitoring processes, and troubleshooting mechanical issues to solve problems. They regularly handle and move objects, repair mechanical equipment, and evaluate information to ensure everything complies with safety standards.

    This occupation is a strong fit for individuals with realistic interests who enjoy hands-on, practical work. Success in this role requires skills in critical thinking, equipment maintenance, and quality control analysis. Workers must have a solid understanding of mechanical systems, engineering and technology, public safety, and computers. They must also display key work styles such as attention to detail, dependability, cautiousness, and stress tolerance to perform their duties safely and effectively.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, workers typically need a high school diploma. The occupation generally requires medium preparation, which often includes vocational training, an associate degree, or related on-the-job experience.

    Students interested in this field often major in heavy or industrial equipment maintenance technologies. For professional development, individuals can pursue the Instrumentation Technician Assessment certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research. Additionally, some states list specific licensing requirements for this line of work.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for control and valve installers and repairers was $74,340. The lowest 10 percent of workers in this occupation earned less than $45,910, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $112,500.

    With 48,240 people employed in the field, employment is projected to grow by 4.3 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth and turnover are expected to result in approximately 3,600 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    31 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    3 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    0 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    59 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
    85
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    83
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    81
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    78
    Getting Information
    77
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    77
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    74
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    73
    Documenting/Recording Information
    72
    Handling and Moving Objects
    72
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking
    • Repairing
    • Active Listening
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Monitoring
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Speaking
    • Troubleshooting

    Knowledge

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

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Oral Expression
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Category Flexibility
    • Extent Flexibility

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Control

    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) · Control Valve Mechanic · Control Valve Technician

    Career pathway

    From your interests to control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door$74,340 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Dakota County Technical College logo
      Dakota County Technical College

      Rosemount, MN · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $89,205
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2
      Bluegrass Community and Technical College

      Lexington, KY · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $80,389
      4 yrs after
      $88,996
      Median debt
      $10,500
    3. 3
      Owensboro Community and Technical College

      Owensboro, KY · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $50,307
      4 yrs after
      $85,274
      Median debt
      $5,000
    4. 4
      Itawamba Community College

      Fulton, MS · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $68,459
      4 yrs after
      $78,139
      Median debt
      Not reported
    5. 5
      Pennsylvania College of Technology

      Williamsport, PA · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $64,410
      4 yrs after
      $77,955
      Median debt
      $12,000
    6. 6
      Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College

      Bowling Green, KY · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $71,220
      4 yrs after
      $77,631
      Median debt
      $8,065
    7. 7
      Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

      Elizabethtown, KY · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $69,358
      4 yrs after
      $75,769
      Median debt
      $7,338
    8. 8
      University of Arkansas at Monticello

      Monticello, AR · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $75,310
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology/Technician
    • Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology/Technician

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    1 state lists a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are also called control valve technicians, automation controls technicians, and control panel technicians. Other common titles include air valve mechanics, control specialists, and certification technicians.

    What kind of training or education is typically required?

    Most workers enter the field with a high school diploma, though the role generally requires vocational training, an associate degree, or related experience. A common college major for this path is heavy and industrial equipment maintenance technologies.

    Are there any certifications or licenses available for this occupation?

    Yes, workers can obtain the Instrumentation Technician Assessment certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research. Some states also list specific licenses for individuals performing this work.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.