Occupations · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 49-9012.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 76% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $104,520 | 3,530 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $59,110 | 2,770 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $50,260 | 1,330 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $93,760 | 1,310 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $93,730 | 1,080 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82,840 | 930 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $74,690 | 870 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $84,600 | 680 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $72,940 | 580 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $69,440 | 540 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $81,200 | 540 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $109,900 | 540 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made.
- 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.
- Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches.
- Turn valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates.
- Report hazardous field situations and damaged or missing meters.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Calibrate instrumentation such as meters, gauges, and regulators for pressure, temperature, flow, and level.
O*NET 21.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 14
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| fluid power technician | 7233.4 | close |
| electric meter technician | 7411.1.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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