Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
SOC Code: 53-7072
Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers carries a 35% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $60,020 and +2.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 13,100 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 35% AI exposure, Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers sits 2 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 46% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
52/100
Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers, 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 C- $60,020
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C- +2.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) C- 35% 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 Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
35% Lower than most lower than 54% 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.
Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers 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
Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers'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 53-7072) 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 Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers 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 Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers. 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 gauges and flowmeters and inspect equipment to ensure that tank levels, temperatures, chemical amounts, and pressures are at specified levels, reporting abnormalities as necessary.
- 2. Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.
- 3. Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of interconnections and capacities of pipelines, valve manifolds, pumps, and tankage.
- 4. Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.
- 5. Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances.
- 6. Connect hoses and pipelines to pumps and vessels prior to material transfer, using hand tools.
- 7. Tend vessels that store substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials, checking levels of substances by using calibrated rods or by reading mercury gauges and tank charts.
- 8. Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment.
- 9. Read operating schedules or instructions or receive verbal orders to determine amounts to be pumped.
- 10. Tend auxiliary equipment such as water treatment and refrigeration units, and heat exchangers.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Troubleshooting
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
- Administrative
- Education and Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers?
Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers has an AI exposure score of 35%, 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 Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers is projected to grow by 2.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 13,100 workers.
What skills are needed for Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers?
Key skills for Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers include Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Operation and Control, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers earn?
The median annual wage for Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers is $60,020, 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 Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers?
The typical entry-level education for Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers 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 Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers?
Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
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 Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (35% here).
- Actuaries · AI exposure 35%
- Automotive and watercraft service attendants · AI exposure 35%
- Chemical technicians · AI exposure 35%
- Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders · AI exposure 35%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+2.6% here).
- Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary · growth +2.6%
- Chemical engineers · growth +2.6%
- Home appliance repairers · growth +2.6%
- Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses · growth +2.6%
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 Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers 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).