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Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $74,340 Median per year · $35.74/hr Most earn $45,910–$112,500

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Turn valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates.
  • Disconnect or remove defective or unauthorized meters, using hand tools.
  • 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.
  • Clean internal compartments and moving parts, using rags and cleaning compounds.
  • Examine valves or mechanical control device parts for defects, dents, or loose attachments, and mark malfunctioning areas of defective units.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 3,600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Natural gas distribution25.3%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals14.0%
  • Support activities for mining6.7%
  • Fossil fuel electric power generation3.5%
  • Self-employed (their own business)3.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This is usually not a job you start straight out of school. Most people first earn a certificate or complete an apprenticeship, then work in a related maintenance or repair job for about 2 to 4 years before doing this work.

  1. High school diploma with math, physics, and shop classes

    4 years

    Strong math and hands-on shop skills help you learn how gauges, valves, and electrical controls work, and they make certificate programs easier.

  2. Industrial maintenance certificate or apprenticeship

    1-2 years

    A certificate program or paid apprenticeship teaches electrical basics, pneumatics, blueprint reading, and safety, and it gets you started on the job.

  3. Industrial Machinery Mechanic

    1-2 years

    Working as a mechanic on plant equipment builds the troubleshooting and repair experience that employers look for in control and valve work.

  4. Control and Valve Installer and Repairer

    Ongoing

    You install, calibrate, and repair thermostats, meters, gas regulators, and safety and flow valves, often with more independence as you gain experience.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Controls Technician

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take charge of harder jobs, train newer technicians, and check their work, which requires deeper knowledge of control systems and strong communication skills.

  2. Maintenance Supervisor

    5+ years of experience first

    You plan crews and schedules and oversee maintenance across a site, so you need leadership experience and a solid record of reliable repairs.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take algebra, geometry, and physicsThese classes build the math and force/pressure/electricity ideas you'll use when working with valves and controls.
  • Join a shop, robotics, or electronics classHands-on building teaches you to read diagrams, use hand tools, and fix things that don't work the first time.
  • Find a summer or part-time helper jobWorking with a landscaping, maintenance, or repair crew shows you how real jobs run and helps you learn the work early.
  • Ask a technician to shadow themTalking with someone who installs or repairs controls gives you a realistic view of the daily work and what skills matter most.

In college

  • Take electrical, electronics, and industrial maintenance coursesCommunity college or technical courses in these areas give you the core knowledge that certificate programs and employers expect.
  • Apply for a paid apprenticeship or internshipOn-the-job training pays you while you learn and is one of the most common ways into this career.
  • Get a part-time job at a maintenance or HVAC shopEven a helper role gives you real experience and a reference for future applications.
  • Earn a relevant certificateA recognized certificate in industrial maintenance, HVAC controls, or electrical work shows employers you already have a foundation.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local HVAC, plumbing, or industrial maintenance company whether they offer apprenticeships or summer helper jobs, and whether they hire people without a degree.
  • Get comfortable with basic electrical safety and tools now, because most employers expect you to already understand them when you start.
  • Keep a simple log of the repairs and projects you help with, since it will make job applications and apprenticeship interviews much stronger.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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