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Control & Instrumentation Technician

Energy & Utilities

Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves, and other mechanical governors.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Electrical EngineeringMechanical Engineering

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made.
  2. 2Install, inspect and test electric meters, relays, and power sources to detect causes of malfunctions and inaccuracies, using hand tools and testing equipment.
  3. 3Calibrate instrumentation, such as meters, gauges, and regulators, for pressure, temperature, flow, and level.
  4. 4Test valves and regulators for leaks and accurate temperature and pressure settings, using precision testing equipment.
  5. 5Record meter readings and installation data on meter cards, work orders, or field service orders, or enter data into hand-held computers.
  6. 6Turn meters on or off to establish or close service.
  7. 7Shut off service and notify repair crews when major repairs are required, such as the replacement of underground pipes or wiring.
  8. 8Install regulators and related equipment such as gas meters, odorization units, and gas pressure telemetering equipment.
  9. 9Cut seats to receive new orifices, tap inspection ports, and perform other repairs to salvage usable materials, using hand tools and machine tools.
  10. 10Turn valves to allow measured amounts of air or gas to pass through meters at specified flow rates.
  11. 11Disassemble and repair mechanical control devices or valves, such as regulators, thermostats, or hydrants, using power tools, hand tools, and cutting torches.
  12. 12Report hazardous field situations and damaged or missing meters.
  13. 13Vary air pressure flowing into regulators and turn handles to assess functioning of valves and pistons.
  14. 14Examine valves or mechanical control device parts for defects, dents, or loose attachments, and mark malfunctioning areas of defective units.
  15. 15Mount and install meters and other electric equipment such as time clocks, transformers, and circuit breakers, using electricians' hand tools.
  16. 16Connect regulators to test stands, and turn screw adjustments until gauges indicate that inlet and outlet pressures meet specifications.
  17. 17Investigate instances of illegal tapping into service lines.
  18. 18Trace and tag meters or house lines.
  19. 19Repair electric meters and components, such as transformers and relays, and replace metering devices, dial glasses, and faulty or incorrect wiring, using hand tools.
  20. 20Lubricate wearing surfaces of mechanical parts, using oils or other lubricants.
  21. 21Replace defective parts, such as bellows, range springs, and toggle switches, and reassemble units according to blueprints, using cam presses and hand tools.
  22. 22Measure tolerances of assembled and salvageable parts for conformance to standards or specifications, using gauges, micrometers, and calipers.
  23. 23Clean internal compartments and moving parts, using rags and cleaning compounds.
  24. 24Disconnect or remove defective or unauthorized meters, using hand tools.
  25. 25Dismantle meters, and replace or adjust defective parts such as cases, shafts, gears, disks, and recording mechanisms, using soldering irons and hand tools.
  26. 26Attach air hoses to meter inlets, plug outlets, and observe gauges for pressure losses to test internal seams for leaks.
  27. 27Make adjustments to meter components, such as setscrews or timing mechanisms, so that they conform to specifications.
  28. 28Repair leaks in valve seats or bellows of automotive heater thermostats, using soft solder, flux, and acetylene torches.
  29. 29Splice and connect cables from meters or current transformers to pull boxes or switchboards, using hand tools.
  30. 30Advise customers on proper installation of valves or regulators and related equipment.
  31. 31Clean plant growth, scale, paint, soil, or rust from meter housings, using wire brushes, scrapers, buffers, sandblasters, or cleaning compounds.
  32. 32Connect hoses from provers to meter inlets and outlets, and raise prover bells until prover gauges register zero.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Mechanic
  • Meterman
  • Salvager
  • Valve Grinder
  • E/M Technician
  • Gas Pit Worker
  • Gas Technician
  • ICE Technician
  • Meter Mechanic
  • Meter Repairer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
InventionDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Mechanical82%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Engineering and Technology73%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Public Safety and Security71%
  • Computers and Electronics65%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Customer and Personal Service65%
  • Mathematics64%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedOften
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little
  • Time spent standingMost of the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

5%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

TVET

Hands-on trades with strong employability: ILP, ADTEC, kolej vokasional, GiatMARA.

1–3 years

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org