💧
Water and Wastewater Utilities
American Water, Veolia, Xylem
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
This job keeps valves, regulators, thermostats, and hydrants working by taking them apart, testing them, and rebuilding them so they hold the right pressure or temperature. The work is hands-on and exacting: small mistakes can cause leaks or failures, and the tradeoff is that the field is fairly stable but barely growing, with projected growth of only 1.3% through 2034.
Also known as Control Valve TechnicianValve Repair TechnicianValve and Regulator RepairerValve Installer and RepairerRegulator Technician
Median Salary
$74,690
Mean $75,970
U.S. Workforce
~47K
3.9K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1.3%
47.7K to 48.3K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~47K workers, with a median annual pay of $74,690 and roughly 3.9K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 47.7 K in 2024 to 48.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Maintenance Helper and can progress toward Senior Valve and Controls Technician. High-value skills usually include Valve Disassembly, Repair & Reassembly, Pressure Testing, Leak Detection & Calibration, and Hand Tools, Power Tools & Cutting Torches, paired with soft skills such as Critical thinking, Attention to detail, and Active listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Take apart broken valves, thermostats, and regulators, then clean and rebuild them with hand tools, power tools, and cutting equipment.
- Inspect parts for dents, cracks, loose pieces, and other defects, then mark anything that needs replacement.
- Swap out worn components like springs, seals, switches, and bellows, then fit the unit back together from blueprints or instructions.
- Test repaired equipment for leaks and make sure pressure and temperature settings are accurate using gauges and other precision tools.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Take apart broken valves, thermostats, and regulators, then clean and rebuild them with hand tools, power tools, and cutting equipment.
02 Inspect parts for dents, cracks, loose pieces, and other defects, then mark anything that needs replacement.
03 Swap out worn components like springs, seals, switches, and bellows, then fit the unit back together from blueprints or instructions.
04 Test repaired equipment for leaks and make sure pressure and temperature settings are accurate using gauges and other precision tools.
05 Add lubrication to moving parts so they do not wear out too quickly.
06 Write down what was tested, what was repaired, and what materials were used, and explain installation or operating steps to customers when needed.
Industries That Hire
🛢️
Oil and Gas
ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell
🏭
Industrial Manufacturing
Honeywell, Siemens, 3M
🔧
Mechanical Contracting and Construction
EMCOR, Fluor, AECOM
🌬️
HVAC and Building Systems
Johnson Controls, Carrier, Trane Technologies
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
The pay is solid for a trade: the median salary is $74,690 and the mean is $75,970.
+
You usually do not need prior work experience, and BLS says the typical entry point is a high school diploma plus moderate on-the-job training.
+
There are about 3.9K annual openings, so people still get hired regularly as workers retire or move on.
+
The work is practical and varied: one day you may be testing leaks, and the next you are rebuilding a failed regulator or valve.
+
The skills transfer to several industries, including utilities, manufacturing, and field service, which can make it easier to move later.
Challenges
-
Growth is only 1.3% from 2024 to 2034, so this is not a fast-expanding occupation.
-
The role has a fairly limited ceiling unless you move into supervision or branch out into another maintenance trade.
-
The work can be physically demanding and dirty, with heavy tools, tight spaces, lubricants, and cutting equipment.
-
You are often dealing with pressurized systems, so mistakes can create leaks, shutdowns, or safety hazards.
-
Some routine inspection and monitoring work may be absorbed by sensors and automated systems over time, which can reduce simpler entry-level tasks.
Career Progression
Maintenance Helper
0-2 years
$38K-$50K
Learns safety rules, gathers tools, cleans parts, and helps experienced technicians with basic teardown and reassembly.
Valve Repair Technician
2-5 years
$50K-$63K
Handles common repairs, replaces worn parts, and performs routine pressure and leak tests with limited supervision.
Control and Valve Installer and Repairer THIS ROLE
5-10 years
$68K-$82K
Diagnoses faulty devices, restores them to specification, and documents the work so equipment can be returned to service safely.
Senior Valve and Controls Technician
10+ years
$82K-$98K
Tackles more complex systems, coaches newer workers, and handles tougher troubleshooting or customer-facing jobs.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent
The most common formal route, held by 46.98% of workers, and BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry requirement.
Post-secondary certificate in industrial maintenance or a related trade
A very common route, used by 41.84% of workers, especially through trade schools and technical programs that teach repair, testing, and safety basics.
Associate degree in industrial maintenance, mechatronics, or a related field
A smaller path, held by 6.75% of workers, that can help with troubleshooting and reading technical systems.
Apprenticeship or employer training with a trade certification
A practical alternative for people who want to learn on the job; BLS says moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, and prior work experience is not required.
Key Skills
Technical
Valve Disassembly, Repair & Reassembly 56%
Pressure Testing, Leak Detection & Calibration 55%
Hand Tools, Power Tools & Cutting Torches 54%
Blueprint Reading & Technical Drawings 53%
Preventive Maintenance & Lubrication 53%
Maintenance Logs & Quality Checks 52%
Soft Skills
Critical thinkingAttention to detailActive listeningJudgment and decision makingClear communicationProblem solving Job Outlook and Trends
+1.3%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
3.9K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 47.7K to 48.3 K over the next decade, representing 1.3% growth. Around 3.9 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.