US dataswitch to UK

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

recording maintenance information, including test results, material usage and repairs made, cutting seats to receive new orifices, connecting regulators to test stands and tracing and tagging meters or house lines. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: disassembling and repairing mechanical control devices or valves is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 5%
changing shape: 4%
staying human: 91%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 10 out of 100 (7–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 32 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

What shifts is recording maintenance information, including test results, material usage and repairs made: the paper around the work, not the work.

Your week, as this page understands it

Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves, and other mechanical governors. The job title says “control”, “valve installers”, “repairers” or “except mechanical door”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: disassembling and repairing mechanical control devices or valves. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door is not one task. It is 32 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is disassembling and repairing mechanical control devices or valves, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 5%
changing shape: 4%
staying human: 91%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

1 task

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Recording maintenance information, including test results, material usage and repairs made
This is reading one thing and writing another: maintenance information, including test results in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing up test results, materials used and repairs made is structured record-keeping already done on handheld devices.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

1 task

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Recording meter readings and installation data on meter cards
The software now makes the first pass at meter readings, but part of it still happens in the physical world. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Record meter readings and installation data on meter cards, work orders, or field service orders, or enter data into hand-held computers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 46 out of 100 (39–53 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Logging readings is simple data entry, but the readings still come from standing at the meter.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

30 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Disassembling and repairing mechanical control devices or valves
This work happens in the physical world: mechanical control devices, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Taking a valve apart and repairing it is hands-on work with power tools.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Lubricating wearing surfaces of mechanical parts
This work happens in the physical world: surfaces of mechanical parts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Lubricate wearing surfaces of mechanical parts, using oils or other lubricants.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Applying oil to moving parts is physical maintenance on the machine itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Examining valves or mechanical control device parts
This work happens in the physical world: valves, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Examine valves or mechanical control device parts for defects, dents, or loose attachments, and mark malfunctioning areas of defective units.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Judging whether a part is dented or loose means picking it up and marking it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Testing valves and regulators for leaks and accurate temperature and pressure settings
This work happens in the physical world: valves, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Test valves and regulators for leaks and accurate temperature and pressure settings, using precision testing equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (5–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Pressure testing a valve requires connecting the test equipment to the actual part.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Disconnecting or removing defective or unauthorized meters
This work happens in the physical world: defective, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Disconnect or remove defective or unauthorized meters, using hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Removing a meter with hand tools is physical work at the property.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Reporting hazardous field situations and damaged or missing meters
This work happens in the physical world: hazardous field situations, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Report hazardous field situations and damaged or missing meters.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 33 out of 100 (26–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Filing the report is routine, but spotting a hazard or a missing meter depends on being out in the field.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Shutting off service and notifying repair crews when major repairs
This work happens in the physical world: service, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Shut off service and notify repair crews when major repairs are required, such as the replacement of underground pipes or wiring.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Notifying the crew is easy to automate, but shutting off the service is done by hand at the site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Cleaning internal compartments and moving parts
This work happens in the physical world: internal compartments, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Clean internal compartments and moving parts, using rags and cleaning compounds.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning internal parts with rags and solvents is manual work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 22 tasks

Advising customers on proper installation of valves or regulators and related equipment
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles customers and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Advise customers on proper installation of valves or regulators and related equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 34 out of 100 (27–41 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Installation guidance is well documented, but customers want it explained by the technician who came out.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Investigating instances of illegal tapping into service lines
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: instances of illegal, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Investigate instances of illegal tapping into service lines.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 21 out of 100 (14–28 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Usage data can flag likely theft, but confirming an illegal tap means going out to look at the line.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Installing, inspecting and testing electric meters
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: electric meters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Install, inspect and test electric meters, relays, and power sources to detect causes of malfunctions and inaccuracies, using hand tools and testing equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Fault diagnosis can be assisted, but installing and probing meters happens with tools in hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Measuring tolerances of assembled and salvageable parts for conformance to standards or specifications
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: tolerances, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Measure tolerances of assembled and salvageable parts for conformance to standards or specifications, using gauges, micrometers, and calipers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: The specification is documented, but the measuring is done with the part in hand and a micrometer.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Calibrating instrumentation, such as meters, gauges and regulators, for pressure, temperature, flow and level
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: instrumentation, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Calibrate instrumentation, such as meters, gauges, and regulators, for pressure, temperature, flow, and level.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Calibration procedures are documented, but adjusting the instrument means turning screws on the device.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Turning meters on or off to establish or close service
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: meters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Turn meters on or off to establish or close service.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Turning a meter on or off still means someone at the meter operating it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Turning valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: valves, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Turn valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Turning valves to set the flow through a meter is done at the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Connecting regulators to test stands
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: regulators, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Connect regulators to test stands, and turn screw adjustments until gauges indicate that inlet and outlet pressures meet specifications.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Connecting regulators to a test stand and adjusting screws is bench work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Installing regulators and related equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: regulators, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Install regulators and related equipment such as gas meters, odorization units, and gas pressure telemetering equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Installing gas regulators and meters is physical work on the pipework.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Attaching air hoses to meter inlets
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: air hoses, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Attach air hoses to meter inlets, plug outlets, and observe gauges for pressure losses to test internal seams for leaks.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Attaching hoses and watching gauges for pressure loss is done at the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Dismantling meters and replacing or adjusting defective parts, cases, shafts, gears, disks and recording mechanisms
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: meters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Dismantle meters, and replace or adjust defective parts such as cases, shafts, gears, disks, and recording mechanisms, using soldering irons and hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Dismantling a meter and replacing gears and shafts is hands-on repair.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Connecting hoses from provers to meter inlets and outlets
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: hoses, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Connect hoses from provers to meter inlets and outlets, and raise prover bells until prover gauges register zero.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Connecting prover hoses and raising the bell is physical operation of test equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Making adjustments to meter components
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: adjustments, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Make adjustments to meter components, such as setscrews or timing mechanisms, so that they conform to specifications.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Adjusting setscrews and timing mechanisms means working on the component itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Replacing defective parts, such as bellows, range springs and toggle switches and reassemble units
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: defective parts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Replace defective parts, such as bellows, range springs, and toggle switches, and reassemble units according to blueprints, using cam presses and hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Swapping defective parts and reassembling to a blueprint is physical assembly.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Tracing and tagging meters or house lines
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: meters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Trace and tag meters or house lines.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Tracing and tagging lines means following the actual pipes and wires.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Mounting and installing meters and other electric equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: meters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Mount and install meters and other electric equipment such as time clocks, transformers, and circuit breakers, using electricians' hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Mounting meters and breakers with hand tools is physical installation work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Varying air pressure flowing into regulators and turn handles to assess functioning of valves and pistons
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: air pressure, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Vary air pressure flowing into regulators and turn handles to assess functioning of valves and pistons.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Varying pressure and turning handles to test a regulator is physical operation of the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Repairing leaks in valve seats or bellows of automotive heater thermostats
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: leaks, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Repair leaks in valve seats or bellows of automotive heater thermostats, using soft solder, flux, and acetylene torches.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Soldering a leaking valve seat is torch work at the bench.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Repairing electric meters and components
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: electric meters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Repair electric meters and components, such as transformers and relays, and replace metering devices, dial glasses, and faulty or incorrect wiring, using hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Repairing meter components with hand tools is bench work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Cutting seats to receive new orifices
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: seats, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Cut seats to receive new orifices, tap inspection ports, and perform other repairs to salvage usable materials, using hand tools and machine tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cutting seats and tapping ports is machining work at the bench.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Splicing and connecting cables from meters or current transformers to pull boxes or switchboards
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: cables, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Splice and connect cables from meters or current transformers to pull boxes or switchboards, using hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Splicing and connecting cables into pull boxes is physical electrical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning plant growth, scale, paint, soil or rust from meter housings
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: plant growth, scale, paint, soil or rust, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Clean plant growth, scale, paint, soil, or rust from meter housings, using wire brushes, scrapers, buffers, sandblasters, or cleaning compounds.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Scraping rust and plant growth off meter housings is manual cleaning.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $74,340a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 48,240in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: maintenance information, including test results in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: recording maintenance information, including test results, material usage and repairs made and recording meter readings and installation data on meter cards. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where mechanical control devices get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: disassembling and repairing mechanical control devices or valves is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 5% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 4% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 91% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 32 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Recording maintenance information, including test results, material usage and repairs made is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to maintenance information, including test results, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether mechanical control devices are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near recording meter readings and installation data on meter cards. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was meter readers, utilities: only about 6% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 35.2% less. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 10/100 here, with only 5% of the task list in the top band, and “disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Meter Readers, Utilities
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already record meter readings and installation data on meter cards, work orders, or field…, and their equivalent is to read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route…. Across both published task lists that is about 6% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 6% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $48,150 against your $74,340, 35.2% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already lubricate wearing surfaces of mechanical parts, using oils or other lubricants, and their equivalent is to clean and lubricate parts. Across both published task lists that is about 5% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 5% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $56,550 against your $74,340, 23.9% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already shut off service and notify repair crews when major repairs are required, and their equivalent is to repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring. Across both published task lists that is about 2% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 2% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $61,010 against your $74,340, 17.9% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 5% of its task weight, across 32 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like disassembling and repairing mechanical control devices or valves arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Electricians and electrical fitters is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Electricians and electrical fitters and Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Find local training
Search what's running near you, from the Labor Department's own database, before anyone sells you a course.
Free to search; individual programs vary, and some are funded
Anywhere in the US:
American Job Center locator
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
- CareerOneStop local help hub
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop
Free

No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for control / valve installers / repairers / except mechanical door, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 5% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for control / valve installers / repairers / except mechanical door. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for control / valve installers / repairers / except mechanical door launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for control / valve installers / repairers / except mechanical door yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for control / valve installers / repairers / except mechanical door existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for control / valve installers / repairers / except mechanical door launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 32 official task statements scored for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door (United States, SOC 49-9012), 5% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 10 out of 100 (range 7–15, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made” (69/100, high); “Record meter readings and installation data on meter cards, work orders, or field service orders, or enter data into hand-held computers” (46/100, partial); “Advise customers on proper installation of valves or regulators and related equipment” (34/100, low). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door” stay human?: About 91% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Clean plant growth, scale, paint, soil, or rust from meter housings, using wire brushes, scrapers, buffers, sandblasters, or cleaning compounds” (0/100, minimal); “Splice and connect cables from meters or current transformers to pull boxes or switchboards, using hand tools” (0/100, minimal); “Cut seats to receive new orifices, tap inspection ports, and perform other repairs to salvage usable materials, using hand tools and machine tools” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 5% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 91% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 32 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.