Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves, and other mechanical governors.
U.S. Workers
46,920
Median Salary
$74,690
10-Year Growth
+1.3%
Annual Openings
3,900
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
39 of 39 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made.
AI: Fully automatable - Recording maintenance data is straightforward to automate via digital logs, sensors, and maintenance management software that capture test results, materials used, and repairs performed.
Calibrate instrumentation, such as meters, gauges, and regulators, for pressure, temperature, flow, and level.
AI: Fully automatable - Calibration procedures are standardized and can be executed autonomously by automated calibration rigs, sensor suites, and software-driven instruments with AI-assisted validation.
Test valves and regulators for leaks and accurate temperature and pressure settings, using precision testing equipment.
AI: Fully automatable - Testing for leaks and verifying temperature/pressure settings can be fully automated using precision sensors, test benches, and AI-driven analysis and reporting.
Record meter readings and installation data on meter cards, work orders, or field service orders, or enter data into hand-held computers.
AI: Fully automatable - Recording meter readings and entering installation data is routinely automated via smart meters, telemetering, OCR, and mobile/remote data capture systems.
Turn meters on or off to establish or close service.
AI: Fully automatable - Turning meters on or off is commonly supported remotely by modern utility systems and can be automated end-to-end where infrastructure permits.
Shut off service and notify repair crews when major repairs are required, such as the replacement of underground pipes or wiring.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated monitoring systems can detect major faults, perform remote shutoffs when supported, and automatically notify repair crews and dispatch systems.
Report hazardous field situations and damaged or missing meters.
AI: Fully automatable - Computer vision, sensor analytics, drones and telemetry systems can reliably detect hazardous conditions and missing or damaged meters and automatically generate reports and alerts as of 2025.
Lubricate wearing surfaces of mechanical parts, using oils or other lubricants.
AI: Fully automatable - Simple, repetitive lubrication tasks can be fully automated using robotic actuators or automated lubrication systems and scheduling software available today.
Measure tolerances of assembled and salvageable parts for conformance to standards or specifications, using gauges, micrometers, and calipers.
AI: Fully automatable - Dimensional inspection is a well‑solved automation problem—machine vision and sensor rigs plus robotic fixturing can measure tolerances to standards reliably in production and lab settings.
Attach air hoses to meter inlets, plug outlets, and observe gauges for pressure losses to test internal seams for leaks.
AI: Fully automatable - Leak testing via hoses, plugs, and pressure monitoring is routinely automated with fixtures, pneumatic controls, and sensor analytics, enabling full automation in test benches and service stations.
Recommend and write up specifications for changes in hardware, such as house wiring.
AI: Fully automatable - Generating and writing specifications is a text and rules‑based cognitive task that modern AI (LLMs and expert systems) can perform end‑to‑end, though final human review may be recommended for compliance.
Clamp regulator units into vises on stages above water tanks, and attach compressed air hoses to intake ports.
AI: Fully automatable - Clamping units into fixtures and connecting hoses are straightforward, repetitive manipulations that are readily automated with simple robotics and fixtures in workshop/test setups.
Advise customers on proper installation of valves or regulators and related equipment.
AI: Fully automatable - Advising customers on valve and regulator installation is knowledge‑centric and can be fully automated by 2025 via AI systems that provide accurate instructions, troubleshooting, and tailored recommendations.
Install, inspect and test electric meters, relays, and power sources to detect causes of malfunctions and inaccuracies, using hand tools and testing equipment.
AI: Partial - While diagnostics and testing can be automated, the physical installation and variable field inspection of meters, relays, and power sources still require human technicians for now.
Install regulators and related equipment such as gas meters, odorization units, and gas pressure telemetering equipment.
AI: Partial - Installing gas regulators, odorization units, and related equipment is safety-critical, context-dependent physical work that currently requires skilled human installers despite some diagnostic automation.
Cut seats to receive new orifices, tap inspection ports, and perform other repairs to salvage usable materials, using hand tools and machine tools.
AI: Partial - On-site machining and adaptive repairs like cutting seats and tapping inspection ports demand fine manual dexterity and situational judgment that limit full automation in field conditions.
Turn valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates.
AI: Partial - AI can control motorized actuators and closed‑loop control systems to achieve specified flow rates where hardware exists, but it cannot physically operate manual valves in most field conditions without robotic/mechatronic hardware.
Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches.
AI: Partial - Disassembly and repair with power tools and cutting torches require complex manual manipulation, judgment, and variable field work that AI/robots cannot reliably perform end-to-end yet, though parts can be assisted or automated in controlled shops.
Vary air pressure flowing into regulators and turn handles to assess functioning of valves and pistons.
AI: Partial - AI can vary pressures and run diagnostics via automated regulators and control systems in instrumented setups, but it cannot turn manual handles or perform ad‑hoc manual adjustments without physical actuators or human intervention.
Examine valves or mechanical control device parts for defects, dents, or loose attachments, and mark malfunctioning areas of defective units.
AI: Partial - AI vision and anomaly detection can identify many surface defects and flag suspected malfunctioning areas, but full tactile inspection and physically marking defective units still require human technicians.
Mount and install meters and other electric equipment such as time clocks, transformers, and circuit breakers, using electricians' hand tools.
AI: Partial - Robotics and guided instructions can assist in mounting and installing electrical equipment in controlled environments, yet most field installations still require skilled human electricians using hand tools.
Connect regulators to test stands, and turn screw adjustments until gauges indicate that inlet and outlet pressures meet specifications.
AI: Partial - Automated test stands can connect regulators and make screw adjustments under AI control in lab settings, but field hookups and manual fine adjustments remain largely manual without specialized hardware.
Investigate instances of illegal tapping into service lines.
AI: Partial - AI can analyze usage data, detect anomalies and suggest likely illegal taps, but on‑the‑ground investigation, access, and legal enforcement require human action.
Trace and tag meters or house lines.
AI: Partial - AI can trace lines using telemetry and mapping tools and generate tagging plans, but physically tracing and attaching tags to meters or house lines is typically a manual task.
Repair electric meters and components, such as transformers and relays, and replace metering devices, dial glasses, and faulty or incorrect wiring, using hand tools.
AI: Partial - AI can diagnose meter faults and guide or automate repairs in controlled repair facilities, but field repair and delicate rewiring using hand tools remain largely human tasks.
Replace defective parts, such as bellows, range springs, and toggle switches, and reassemble units according to blueprints, using cam presses and hand tools.
AI: Partial - Automated assembly and part replacement are feasible in factory contexts, but replacing small mechanical parts and reassembling units on varied field devices still requires human dexterity and judgment.
Recondition displacement type gas meters and governors, fabricating, machining, or modifying parts needed for repairs.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with CAD generation and control CNC machines to fabricate parts, but on-the-spot manual machining, judgement about worn parts, and ad-hoc fitting in repair contexts remain only partially automatable by 2025.
Clean internal compartments and moving parts, using rags and cleaning compounds.
AI: Partial - Cleaning internal compartments is a messy, unstructured manual task that robots can partially perform with fixtures and specialized end‑effectors but not fully replicate across varied field conditions by 2025.
Disconnect or remove defective or unauthorized meters, using hand tools.
AI: Partial - Removing meters is a repetitive physical task that could be assisted or done by specialized fixtures or robots in controlled environments, but variability of field installations limits full automation today.
Dismantle meters, and replace or adjust defective parts such as cases, shafts, gears, disks, and recording mechanisms, using soldering irons and hand tools.
AI: Partial - Disassembly and targeted repairs involving varied small mechanical parts and soldering can be automated in controlled production lines, but field repairs requiring flexible dexterity and diagnosis remain only partially automatable.
Reassemble repaired equipment, and solder top, front, and back case panels in place, using soldering guns, power tools, and hand tools.
AI: Partial - Reassembly and panel soldering can be automated for standardized products, but the variability and manual adjustments typical in repair workflows mean AI/robotics only partially automate this task by 2025.
Make adjustments to meter components, such as setscrews or timing mechanisms, so that they conform to specifications.
AI: Partial - Making fine adjustments to meet specifications can be automated in controlled jigs with actuated tools and feedback, but ad‑hoc adjustments across diverse meter models in the field remain only partially automatable.
Repair leaks in valve seats or bellows of automotive heater thermostats, using soft solder, flux, and acetylene torches.
AI: Partial - Repairing valve-seat or bellows leaks with soft solder and torch is a skilled manual task that AI can guide and assist with (and limited robotic systems exist) but cannot fully automate reliably in varied field conditions as of 2025.
Collect money due on delinquent accounts.
AI: Partial - AI systems can handle routine delinquent-account outreach, negotiation, and payment processing, but complex cases, disputes, and regulatory oversight still require human involvement, so automation is partial.
Attach pressurized meters to fixtures which submerge them in water, and observe meters for leaks.
AI: Partial - Attaching pressurized meters and observing for leaks is a hands‑on inspection procedure that can be augmented with sensors and guided by AI, but full autonomous execution across varied sites is not yet general-purpose.
Splice and connect cables from meters or current transformers to pull boxes or switchboards, using hand tools.
AI: Partial - Cable splicing and connecting to pull boxes/switchboards is a physical, safety‑sensitive electrical task that AI can instruct and partially automate with specialized robotics but not fully replace field technicians broadly by 2025.
Calibrate thermostats for specified temperature or pressure settings.
AI: Partial - Calibrating thermostats to specified settings can be automated for many modern digital devices and supported by AI, but physical/manual calibration of diverse field equipment still requires human action in many cases.
Clean plant growth, scale, paint, soil, or rust from meter housings, using wire brushes, scrapers, buffers, sandblasters, or cleaning compounds.
AI: Partial - Cleaning meter housings is a manual, variable physical task that can be partially automated with specialized equipment or guided procedures, but general full automation is not widespread by 2025.
Connect hoses from provers to meter inlets and outlets, and raise prover bells until prover gauges register zero.
AI: Partial - Connecting prover hoses and adjusting prover bells involves precise manual handling and observation that can be supported by automated test rigs and AI guidance, yet field-level full automation remains limited.