Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Many of the data-related tasks in this field have already become automated. For example, utilities now use “smart” meters and two-way communication so they automatically send readings back to the company ^[1]. This means workers no longer have to visit a home or meter site to record meter readings or enter data by hand.

As one utility manager explained, two-way smart grids let the company “communicate with [meters] every two to four hours,” eliminating the need for human meter readers ^[1]. In practice, meter-reading jobs have shrunk: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 24,000 utility meter-readers in 2021 ^[2], and that number is likely falling as meters get smart. Likewise, turning service on/off or adjusting flows is often done through remote controls and sensors now.

Many gas and water valves are hooked to computerized systems (PLC/SCADA) that let someone control or relax a valve from a control room ^[3]. O*NET (a U.S. job database) even lists industrial control software (like PLC/SCADA) as a “hot technology” in this job ^[3]. In short, machines and networks do tasks like meter-reading and flow-monitoring, so technicians spend more time overseeing systems than writing on cards.

By contrast, the hands-on tasks remain largely manual. O*NET explicitly notes tasks like disconnecting or removing bad meters and disassembling valves using hand tools and cutting torches ^{[3] [3]}. Technicians still have to climb in confined spaces, use wrenches and torches, and apply oil to lubricate moving parts ^{[3] [3]}.

These tasks require physical strength, fine motor skills, and on-site judgment – things robots or AI can’t easily do yet. In short, meter reading and data counting are mostly automated, but mechanical repairs and servicing remain squarely in the human domain.

Whether companies rush to add AI in this field depends on many factors. Cost and benefits play a big role. Smart meters and remote-control valves require expensive equipment and networks. Utilities invested in these over years, often with government support, because long-term savings (fewer meter-reader salaries) make sense.

But for a small gas utility or a water district, it may be cheaper today to have people turn and fix valves than to buy a fleet of robots or AI systems. Moreover, labor for these jobs isn’t extremely high-paid – the average utility meter reader made about $45,000/year in 2021 ^[2] – so the savings from automation are moderate. If wages stay modest, some companies may adopt AI more slowly.