Prevailing Wage for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Prevailing wage for Control Valve Mechanics in the U.S. is set by DOL under SOC 49-9012 and applies to sponsored positions including H-1B, E-3, and green card roles. DOL assigns four experience levels, each with its own wage floor, and the specific amount depends on the worksite city. Control Valve Technicians and Instrument Technicians fall under the same classification.

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Level 1Entry
National median
$50K
$24.05/hr

Entry-level Control Valve Mechanics with limited hands-on experience, typically one to two years. Work is closely supervised, tasks are routine and well-defined, and independent judgment on valve selection or calibration is not yet expected by the employer.

Level 2Qualified
National median
$62K
$29.75/hr

Qualified Control Valve Mechanics with solid field experience across multiple valve and regulating device types. Level 2 is the most common filing level for this occupation, covering technicians who work with moderate supervision and handle standard installation and repair assignments independently.

Level 3Experienced
National median
$73K
$34.96/hr

Experienced technicians who troubleshoot complex control systems, mentor junior staff, and regularly exercise independent judgment. These professionals handle non-routine instrumentation problems and may coordinate work across multiple sites or equipment categories without direct supervisor involvement.

Level 4Fully Competent
National median
$84K
$40.44/hr

Senior or lead-level Control Valve Mechanics with full competency across gas regulators, safety valves, and electronic metering systems. They set worksite standards, advise on system design, and often carry supervisory or training responsibilities within the maintenance or instrumentation team.

Prevailing Wage for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door by OES area

Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.

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$23K/yr$90K/yr

What’s an OES area?

The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.

Top 10 cities · Level 1

1
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro
$81K$38.89/hr
2
San Jose, CA
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro
$77K$36.91/hr
3
Visalia, CA
Visalia, CA metro
$72K$34.61/hr
4
Providence, RI
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro
$71K$34.03/hr
5
Spokane, WA
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA metro
$70K$33.72/hr
6
Trenton, NJ
Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro
$70K$33.52/hr
7
Worcester, MA
Worcester, MA metro
$70K$33.51/hr
8
Santa Rosa, CA
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro
$69K$33.27/hr
9
New York, NY
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro
$69K$32.96/hr
10
Seattle, WA
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro
$68K$32.93/hr

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Prevailing Wage Guide for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Match your title to SOC 49-9012 precisely

Job titles like Instrument Technician or Measurement Technician sometimes get filed under broader maintenance SOC codes, missing the 49-9012 floor. Confirm your offer letter title maps to the correct SOC before your employer files the LCA.

Factor in California metro premiums for this role

San Francisco and San Jose post prevailing wages significantly above the national median for Control Valve Mechanics. If your worksite is in these metros, the L1 floor alone clears what many experienced technicians earn in lower-cost regions.

Exclude overtime and tool allowances from base wage comparisons

DOL prevailing wage compliance for Control Valve Mechanics is measured against base hourly or annual salary only. Overtime pay, per-diem site allowances, and union tool stipends do not count toward the required wage floor.

Find employers who have sponsored this role with Migrate Mate

Migrate Mate shows which companies have historically sponsored Control Valve Technicians and similar instrumentation roles. Filtering by sponsorship history lets you focus on employers already familiar with 49-9012 filings rather than educating them from scratch.

Jobs for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door are hiring across the US. Find yours.

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Prevailing Wage by Reported Job Title

DOL classifies these titles under SOC 49-9012.00 alongside Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.

Control Valve Mechanic Prevailing Wage

Control Valve Mechanic positions fall under SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Control Valve Technician Prevailing Wage

When a U.S. employer sponsors a Control Valve Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Electric Meter Technician Prevailing Wage

Electric Meter Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Instrument and Electrical Technician (I and E Technician) Prevailing Wage

Instrument and Electrical Technician (I and E Technician) positions fall under SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Instrument Technician Prevailing Wage

When a U.S. employer sponsors a Instrument Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Measurement Technician Prevailing Wage

Measurement Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Meter Technician Prevailing Wage

Meter Technician positions fall under SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Service Technician Prevailing Wage

When a U.S. employer sponsors a Service Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Valve Technician Prevailing Wage

Valve Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Water Plant Maintenance Mechanic Prevailing Wage

Water Plant Maintenance Mechanic positions fall under SOC 49-9012.00 (Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.

Level 1
Entry
$50K
$24.05/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$62K
$29.75/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$73K
$34.96/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$84K
$40.44/hr

Frequently Asked Questions

How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Control Valve Mechanics?

DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For SOC 49-9012, OFLC publishes four wage levels derived from that regional survey data. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored Control Valve Mechanic position must pay at least the level that matches the role's actual duties and supervision requirements.

What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to me?

DOL assigns levels based on experience, supervision, and job complexity. Level 1 covers entry-level work under close supervision. Level 2 applies to qualified technicians handling standard assignments with moderate oversight. Level 3 reflects experienced professionals exercising independent judgment. Level 4 is reserved for senior or lead roles with full competency. Your employer selects the level when filing the LCA, and it must match your actual duties.

Why does the prevailing wage for the same Control Valve Technician role vary so much by city?

OFLC bases wage floors on regional OES surveys, so local labor market conditions directly determine the published rate. Dense industrial or energy markets like the San Francisco Bay Area show higher floors because local employers compete for the same instrumentation talent. The worksite address on the LCA determines which metro rate applies, so a remote or multi-site role may require a separate wage determination for each location.

What happens if a job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Control Valve Mechanic position?

An employer cannot certify an LCA with a wage below the applicable DOL prevailing wage floor. If they attempt to file, USCIS will not approve the H-1B or other sponsored visa petition. A sponsored offer must meet or exceed the prevailing wage before the LCA is submitted to OFLC. If you receive an offer below the floor, you should ask the employer to adjust the wage or confirm the correct wage level before filing.

How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Control Valve Mechanic job in a specific U.S. city?

Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, entering SOC code 49-9012 and your target metropolitan area. The tool returns the published Level 1 through Level 4 wages for that location. You can also cross-reference the O*NET occupation profile for SOC 49-9012 to confirm job duties align with this classification. Migrate Mate can help you identify employers with a track record of sponsoring this role in specific metro areas.

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