Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door vs Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: $74K vs $60K Median Pay

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door vs Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: what changes?

Consider Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door if you want to install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves, and other mechanical governors. Consider Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers if you would rather install, program, maintain, and repair security and fire alarm wiring and equipment. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door and Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

National median pay (2025): $74,340
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Record maintenance information, including test results, material usage, and repairs made.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,600

Know before you choose

Hands-on manipulation of tools, controls, or objects occupies a meaningful part of the workday.

See the full Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door brief

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers

National median pay (2025): $60,070
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Install, maintain, or repair security systems, alarm devices, or related equipment, following blueprints of electrical layouts and building plans.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 8,500

Know before you choose

Some core tasks take place on ladders, scaffolds, roofs, or other elevated work areas.

See the full Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers brief

How the national numbers differ

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers has the edge on annual openings

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers is at 8,500 annual openings, compared with 3,600 annual openings for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door.

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door has the edge on median pay

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door is at $74,340, compared with $60,070 for Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers.

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers has the edge on projected growth

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers is at 6.8% projected growth, compared with 4.3% projected growth for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door.

56/ 100

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

61.2/ 100

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door vs Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers

Dimension	Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers
Median pay (2025)	$74,340	$60,070
Pay percentile	64 percentile	47.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	4.3%	6.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	3,600	8,500
2025 employment	50,400	86,300
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door brief Read Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers brief

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door vs Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers

How the national numbers differ

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers has the edge on annual openings

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door has the edge on median pay

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers has the edge on projected growth

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door vs Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers

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