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What is a valve technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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Valve technicians may work for residential, commercial, or industrial properties. They are responsible for maintaining industrial valves. They assess, repair, and test various types of valves, actuators, and other mechanical governors.

As a valve technician, you will disassemble and repair valves, hydrants, and regulators like thermostats using specific tools. You will be expected to keep track of meters and create documentation of meter readings for prospective service reports.

The most common industries that employ valve technicians are oil and gas production, chemicals, electronics, telecommunications, manufacturing, constructions, and many more. Computer literacy is currently among the requirements for successful candidates, apart from technical knowledge and hands-on experience on the job.

ScoreValve TechnicianUS Average
Salary
3.2

Avg. Salary $41,020

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.38%

Asian 2.35%

Black or African American 11.68%

Hispanic or Latino 22.71%

Unknown 2.05%

White 59.83%

Gender

female 8.53%

male 91.47%

Age - 45.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45.5
Stress level
7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Valve technician career paths

Key steps to become a valve technician

  1. Explore valve technician education requirements

    Most common valve technician degrees

    High School Diploma

    46.9 %

    Associate

    21.3 %

    Bachelor's

    13.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific valve technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Control Valves13.43%
    Hand Tools12.02%
    Actuators8.01%
    Teardown7.82%
    Dexterity6.59%
  3. Complete relevant valve technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New valve technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a valve technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real valve technician resumes.
  4. Research valve technician duties and responsibilities

    • Preform PSV testing utilizing certify test equipment and complete all QA / QC documentation as required by the VR program.
    • Work using BOM while building product.
    • Work with AOV and MOV techs as necessary to support job task.
    • Utilize all require PPE to ensure the safety of each individual team member.
  5. Prepare your valve technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your valve technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a valve technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable valve technician resume templates

    Build a professional valve technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your valve technician resume.
    Valve Technician Resume
    Valve Technician Resume
    Valve Technician Resume
    Valve Technician Resume
    Valve Technician Resume
    Valve Technician Resume
    Valve Technician Resume
    Valve Technician Resume
    Valve Technician Resume
  6. Apply for valve technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a valve technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first valve technician job

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Average valve technician salary

The average valve technician salary in the United States is $41,020 per year or $20 per hour. Valve technician salaries range between $28,000 and $59,000 per year.

Average valve technician salary
$41,020 Yearly
$19.72 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do valve technicians rate their job?

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Valve technician reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Install and disassemble of any kinds of valve.

Cons

Challenge to my work but i am happy as my skills


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Install and disassemble of any kinds of valves.

Cons

Challeging as a worker but i am happy to my work as a valve mechanic.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Install and disassembles of any kind of valve and using lapping machine orbit 10 and orbit24 to cleaning the disk and seat of body.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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