Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-9012 · O*NET 49-9012.00

Median salary
$74,690
Rank #239 of ~830 BLS occupations
10-year growth
+1.3%
2024–2034, flat
Employment
46.9M
BLS 2024
Projected 2034
48K
BLS projection
Official O*NET description

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

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door fall under the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair category in the U.S. occupational classification. Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door earn a median salary of $74,690 per year, ranking in the top 29% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +1.3% job growth through 2034, projected to grow slower than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

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

The median annual wage for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door is $74,690. That puts control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door at #239 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Full salary distribution (national, BLS 2024)
10th percentile (entry-level)$43,840
25th percentile$53,060
50th percentile (median)$74,690
75th percentile$97,400
90th percentile (top earners)$109,050
Median hourly wage$35.91/hr

Is control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door is +1.3%, projected to grow slower than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 47K positions in 2024 to 48K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Flat growth typically reflects a mature, stable field. Most openings will come from retirements rather than new positions, which can favor candidates with strong networks and willingness to relocate.

What do control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

  1. 1.Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made.
  2. 2.Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches.
  3. 3.Lubricate wearing surfaces of mechanical parts, using oils or other lubricants.

Top skills for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

Critical Thinking
3.4
Repairing
3.3
Troubleshooting
3.1
Active Listening
3.1
Operations Monitoring
3.1
Quality Control Analysis
3.1
Monitoring
3.1

What education does my child need to become control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door?

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Actual education levels of working control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.

High school diploma
47.0%
Post-secondary certificate
41.8%
Associate's degree
6.8%
Some college courses
3.0%
Bachelor's degree
1.4%

Related careers your child might also consider

How parents help teens explore careers like this

Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.

Common questions parents ask about control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

What is the median salary for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door?

The median annual salary for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door is $74,690 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Is control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door a growing career?

BLS projects +1.3% growth for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door from 2024 through 2034, which is flat growth projected to grow slower than the US average.

What education does my child need to become control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door?

The typical entry path requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.

What careers are similar to control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door?

Related occupations within the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.

Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.