Somewhat Resilient
Last Update: 8/30/2026
AI Resilience Score for Control & Valve Installers:
42.1%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Low
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
Most data sources align, with only minor variation. This is a well-supported result.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forControl and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
$74,340 median salary•3,600 annual openings•SOC Code: 49-9012.00
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door are somewhat less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 5 sources.
This career lands in "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is genuinely changing how the work gets done, even if it is not eliminating the job itself. The data-logging and diagnostics side of the role is already heavily automated (with 82 to 85 percent of those tasks handled by AI), so the job is shifting away from recordkeeping and toward hands-on repair, troubleshooting, and validating what the AI flags.
Learn more about how you can thrive in this position
This role is somewhat resilient
This career lands in "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is genuinely changing how the work gets done, even if it is not eliminating the job itself. The data-logging and diagnostics side of the role is already heavily automated (with 82 to 85 percent of those tasks handled by AI), so the job is shifting away from recordkeeping and toward hands-on repair, troubleshooting, and validating what the AI flags.
Read full analysisLearn more about how you can thrive in this position
Analysis of Current AI Resilience
Control & Valve Installers
Updated Quarterly

How is AI changing Control & Valve Installers jobs?
If you're eyeing a career fixing valves and control systems, here's the good news: this job is being augmented by AI far more than it is being replaced. Most of the AI showing up on plant floors right now is aimed at predicting when equipment will fail — not at turning wrenches. Industry publication ISA's Automation.com reports [1] that AI-driven predictive maintenance continues to stand out as one of the most mature and widely adopted industrial use cases, and organizations are increasingly shifting from reactive and scheduled maintenance toward condition-based, AI-informed strategies that minimize downtime and extend asset life.
IIoT World notes [2] that two-thirds of maintenance teams plan to adopt AI by year's end, but only 32% have partially or fully implemented it, so full deployment is still uneven. In practice, AI now handles the recordkeeping and diagnostics tasks (which is why your list shows 82–85% automation on data-logging tasks), while the hands-on repair work stays with humans. As one workforce analysis puts it [3], predictive maintenance systems flag a bearing that's degrading, and a technician verifies the diagnosis, orders parts, and executes the repair before catastrophic failure — that technician isn't replaced; they're repositioned as a problem-solver rather than a firefighter.
Sources

How fast is AI adoption growing for Control & Valve Installers?
Adoption will likely be steady but slow for valve techs. On the accelerator side, a Deloitte smart-manufacturing leader told Design News [4] that AI is there to enhance the job and make workers more effective but not replace them, helping address a huge shortage of people in manufacturing. Federal data reinforces that human demand: O*NET projects [5] slower than average growth of 1% to 2% with 3,900 job openings between 2024 and 2034 for this occupation, but retirements keep openings steady.
Barriers are real, though — IIoT World lists [2] budget (25% cite unclear ROI as the top barrier), skills (24%, with 69% of maintenance professionals over 50), and cybersecurity (22%) as the dominant obstacles. Physical tasks like lubricating parts, soldering bellows, and disassembling regulators with torches remain stubbornly hard to automate because they require dexterity, safety judgment, and on-site troubleshooting. The smart move for a young person entering this trade is to lean into the data side — learn to read sensor dashboards, interpret AI alerts, and validate diagnoses — while keeping the hands-on skills sharp.
That combination is exactly what employers are struggling to find.
Sources

Will AI replace Control & Valve Installers?
Not entirely. We think AI will take over some tasks, but not the whole job.
Our 42.1% AI Resilience Score reflects real pressure on this career, but the pressure is uneven. AI is already handling the diagnostic and recordkeeping side of maintenance work, things like data logging and equipment monitoring. But that shift is actually repositioning technicians rather than eliminating them. As one workforce analysis explains, predictive maintenance systems flag a degrading component, and a technician verifies the diagnosis, orders parts, and executes the repair [3]. The human stays in the loop because the physical work, soldering bellows, disassembling regulators, troubleshooting on-site, requires dexterity and safety judgment that automation cannot reliably replicate yet.
Adoption of these AI tools is also slower than headlines suggest. Two-thirds of maintenance teams plan to adopt AI soon, but only 32% have partially or fully implemented it, with budget and skills gaps slowing things down [2]. A Deloitte leader told Design News that AI is meant to enhance workers and address a serious shortage in manufacturing, not replace them [4]. O*NET projects around 3,900 annual openings through 2034, kept steady largely by retirements [5].
The smartest move for anyone entering this trade is combining hands-on repair skills with the ability to read sensor data and interpret AI alerts. That combination is exactly what employers are struggling to find.
Sources

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Latest AI news for Control & Valve Installers
These articles highlight the evolving landscape for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, emphasizing AI's potential to enhance rather than replace jobs. For instance, the article from www.ncda.org discusses how AI can automate routine tasks, allowing professionals to focus on complex problem-solving and maintenance. Additionally, the analysis on www.replacedbai.com notes that while certain aspects of the job may be automated, the need for skilled technicians to manage and troubleshoot these systems remains strong, showcasing the resilience of this career path in an AI-driven future.
Will Mechanical Door Repairers be replaced?
willrobotstakemyjob.com • 8/20/2026
Feb 13, 2021 — Moderate Risk (41-60%): This occupation may be meaningfully affected by automation. Some parts of the role may be suitable for AI, software, or ... Read more
Maintenance Workers, Machinery vs Control and Valve ...
www.replacedbai.com • 8/20/2026
AI replacement risk, automatable work, resilient skills, and potential career pivots for both occupations. AI can reshape important parts of the role. AI Risk ...
49-9012.00 - Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, ...
www.onetonline.org • 8/20/2026
Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves,
How Will AI Impact the Workplace? What ...
www.ncda.org • 8/20/2026
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a significant impact on the workforce, Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door 47,780 70,100
A career that AI can't touch?!
www.facebook.com • 8/20/2026
A career that AI can't touch?!
More Career Info
Career: Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
They set up and fix control systems and valves to make sure machines and equipment work safely and efficiently.
Parent Careers
Similar Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$74,340
Jobs (2025)
50,400
Growth (2025-35)
+4.3%
Annual Openings
3,600
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Repair leaks in valve seats or bellows of automotive heater thermostats, using soft solder, flux, and acetylene torches.
2
Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches.
3
Install regulators and related equipment such as gas meters, odorization units, and gas pressure telemetering equipment.
4
Dismantle meters, and replace or adjust defective parts such as cases, shafts, gears, disks, and recording mechanisms, using soldering irons and hand tools.
5
Replace defective parts, such as bellows, range springs, and toggle switches, and reassemble units according to blueprints, using cam presses and hand tools.
6
Repair electric meters and components, such as transformers and relays, and replace metering devices, dial glasses, and faulty or incorrect wiring, using hand tools.
7
Cut seats to receive new orifices, tap inspection ports, and perform other repairs to salvage usable materials, using hand tools and machine tools.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
