Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators
SOC Code: 53-7071
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators carries a 38% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $71,510 and -1.3% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 5,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 38% AI exposure, Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators sits 1 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 63% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
43/100
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B- $71,510
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -1.3%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 38% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
38% Around the middle lower than 37% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 53-7071) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators. Public companies with meaningful exposure to this occupation, such as United Airlines Holdings, Inc. and Delta Air Lines, Inc., inherit a share of the same automation risk through their industry classification. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Monitor meters and pressure gauges to determine consumption rate variations, temperatures, and pressures.
- 2. Respond to problems by adjusting control room equipment or instructing other personnel to adjust equipment at problem locations or in other control areas.
- 3. Record instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs.
- 4. Adjust valves and equipment to obtain specified performance.
- 5. Move controls and turn valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment.
- 6. Operate power-driven pumps that transfer liquids, semi-liquids, gases, or powdered materials.
- 7. Submit daily reports on facility operations.
- 8. Take samples of gases and conduct chemical tests to determine gas quality and sulfur or moisture content, or send samples to laboratories for analysis.
- 9. Read gas meters, and maintain records of the amounts of gas received and dispensed from holders.
- 10. Turn knobs or switches to regulate pressures.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Writing
- Speaking
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Physics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators?
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators has an AI exposure score of 38%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators is projected to decline by 1.3% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 5,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators?
Key skills for Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators earn?
The median annual wage for Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators is $71,510, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators?
The typical entry-level education for Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators?
Public companies with significant Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators workforce shares include United Airlines Holdings, Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc., Essential Utilities, Inc., among others. These employers are mapped by industry classification (SIC/NAICS) to BLS occupation-industry employment distributions. See the full employer rankings for AI displacement risk grades.
Employers with High AI Exposure in This Occupation Group
Public companies whose industry occupation mix includes a significant share of Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators roles.
| Company | AI Grade | Risk Score |
|---|---|---|
| United Airlines Holdings, Inc. | B | 40.5% |
| Delta Air Lines, Inc. | B | 40.5% |
| Essential Utilities, Inc. | B | 40.5% |
| Nextera Energy Inc | B | 40.5% |
| Union Pacific Corp | B | 40.5% |
| Booking Holdings Inc. | B | 40.5% |
| Enbridge Inc | B | 40.5% |
| Constellation Energy Corp | B | 40.5% |
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (38% here).
- Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders · AI exposure 38%
- Coaches and scouts · AI exposure 38%
- Computer and information systems managers · AI exposure 38%
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers · AI exposure 38%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-1.3% here).
- Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians · growth -1.3%
- Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers · growth -1.3%
- Logging equipment operators · growth -1.4%
- Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators · growth -1.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 28 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).