How to become a Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operator

Official title: Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators

Also called: Compressor Operator, Compressor Station Operator, Compressor Technician, Fill Plant Operator, Filler, Liquefied Natural Gas Plant Operator (LNG Plant Operator), Pipeline Technician, Plant Operator, Terminal Operator

Operate steam-, gas-, electric motor-, or internal combustion-engine driven compressors. Transmit, compress, or recover gases, such as butane, nitrogen, hydrogen, and natural gas.

Main tasks

• Monitor meters and pressure gauges to determine consumption rate variations, temperatures, and pressures.
• Respond to problems by adjusting control room equipment or instructing other personnel to adjust equipment at problem locations or in other control areas.
• Record instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs.
• Adjust valves and equipment to obtain specified performance.
• Move controls and turn valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment.
• Operate power-driven pumps that transfer liquids, semi-liquids, gases, or powdered materials.
• Submit daily reports on facility operations.
• Take samples of gases and conduct chemical tests to determine gas quality and sulfur or moisture content, or send samples to laboratories for analysis.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Licence: A licence is required in 13 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $77,320 a year The middle half earn $58,580 to $91,020.
• About 3,500 people work in this job now, and about 3,600 are projected by 2035. (+2.1%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
• Wellhead Pumpers
• Conveyor Operators and Tenders
• Packers and Packagers, Hand
• Crane and Tower Operators
• Dredge Operators

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Questions people ask

How much does a Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $77,320 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $58,580 to $91,020.

Is a Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operator a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 2% by 2035, from about 3,500 to about 3,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operator?

Usually not. Only 11% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operator?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.