Careers · Explore one path
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.
Other titles employers use
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
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
3 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking
- Repairing
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Near Vision
- Oral Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.6 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 3.4 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.5 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 47%
- A certificate or some college 45%
- A two-year degree 7%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Project management software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 10,330
- Job openings each year
- 830
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 13.4%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 10,330 | 830 | 13.4% |
| New York | 4,620 | 10 | 1.5% |
| California | 4,600 | 360 | 7.0% |
| Michigan | 2,000 | 140 | −3.8% |
| Florida | 1,740 | 140 | 8.1% |
| North Carolina | 1,610 | 130 | 8.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,460 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Oklahoma | 1,410 | 110 | 6.0% |
| Maryland | 1,250 | 100 | 6.8% |
| Minnesota | 1,190 | 90 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 1,090 | 80 | 2.8% |
| Colorado | 1,080 | 80 | 9.1% |
| Indiana | 1,060 | 80 | 1.0% |
| Georgia | 1,000 | 80 | 5.3% |
| New Jersey | 980 | 80 | 6.5% |
| Ohio | 940 | 70 | −2.1% |
| Louisiana | 920 | 70 | 5.7% |
| Nebraska | 870 | 60 | 2.4% |
| Arizona | 830 | 60 | −1.2% |
| Kansas | 790 | 50 | −7.1% |
| Kentucky | 760 | 60 | 2.7% |
| Tennessee | 690 | 50 | 9.5% |
| Arkansas | 650 | 50 | −1.5% |
| Wisconsin | 650 | 50 | −1.5% |
| Connecticut | 640 | 40 | −4.5% |
| Alabama | 630 | 50 | −1.6% |
| Iowa | 630 | 50 | −3.1% |
| Missouri | 580 | 40 | 5.5% |
| Oregon | 550 | 40 | 12.2% |
| Utah | 540 | 40 | 10.2% |
| West Virginia | 500 | 30 | −9.1% |
| Illinois | 460 | 30 | — |
| Washington | 400 | 40 | 11.1% |
| South Carolina | 390 | 30 | 8.3% |
| Mississippi | 330 | 30 | 6.5% |
| Wyoming | 310 | 20 | 3.3% |
| Delaware | 240 | 20 | 4.3% |
| Maine | 230 | 20 | −8.0% |
| Massachusetts | 210 | 20 | 5.0% |
| Puerto Rico | 210 | 20 | — |
| Idaho | 190 | 20 | 11.8% |
| Rhode Island | 180 | 10 | 12.5% |
| New Mexico | 160 | 10 | — |
| North Dakota | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| New Hampshire | 150 | 10 | — |
| South Dakota | 140 | 10 | −6.7% |
| Nevada | 130 | 10 | — |
| Montana | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Alaska | 70 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 60 | 0 | 20.0% |
| District of Columbia | 50 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Compare every college offering heavy/industrial equipment maintenance technologies/technicians