# 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.

- **SOC code:** 49-9012.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9012-00
- **Also known as:** Instrument and Electrical Technician (I and E Technician), Measurement Technician, Meter Technician, Valve Technician, Control Valve Mechanic, Control Valve Technician, Electric Meter Technician, Instrument Technician
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made.
- Install, inspect and test electric meters, relays, and power sources to detect causes of malfunctions and inaccuracies, using hand tools and testing equipment.
- Calibrate instrumentation, such as meters, gauges, and regulators, for pressure, temperature, flow, and level.
- 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.
- Turn valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates.
- Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches.
- Report hazardous field situations and damaged or missing meters.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Mechanical _(knowledge)_
- Engineering and Technology _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Public Safety and Security _(knowledge)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Repairing _(transferable_skill)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Equipment Maintenance _(Specialized Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Autodesk AutoCAD _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft SharePoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Visio _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Windows _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management _(hot technology)_
- SAP software _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 31st percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 26th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 21st percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 51st percentile (Moderate) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 53rd percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 1.3% growth (About average); 3.9k annual openings; 47.7k → 48.3k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $74,690; 46,920 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

---
_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9012-00_